Essential Oils and Their Compounds for Applications in Fungal Diseases: Conventional and Nonconventional Approaches

Essential oils (volatile oils) are intricate mixtures of aromatic molecules stored in different places throughout plants. They perform a vital role in plant defense from harmful organisms. Pure essential oils are widely employed in many industries, including perfumery and medicines. Because of their medicinal properties, essential oils are mostly used in fragrances and possess an extremely high market value. They constıtute a number of aromatic compounds with various medicinal and biological properties that can be applied to prevent the growth of phytopathogenic and food-borne fungi, which are responsible for several postharvest illnesses and animal/human diseases. The antifungal action of essential oil is linked to its phytochemical components. The suppression of mycelial growth is affected by various aspects including antifungal assays, observation day, oil content, and fungus species. Investigation of novel sources of naturally occurring biologically active compounds with novel targeted actions is motivated by the potential use of secondary metabolites for disease management. The search for new fungicides is a broad endeavor, wherein the current emphasis is on substances that are naturally occurring. In this chapter, we look into how essential oils affect pathogenic fungi.