Plant aroma compounds/essential oils: A new engine for food safety and healthy living

Plant aroma compounds/essential oils (AEOs), one of the most important secondary metabolites in aromatic plants, are widely used in many fields including food safety and healthy living. Although some progress has been made in the research on AEOs, there is still a lack of detailed review on the extraction techniques of AEOs and the research progress on their biological activities in the fields of food safety and healthy living, especially the lack of relevant reviews on the comprehensive development of active AEOs assisted by modern computing technology, which is crucial for the in-depth development and comprehensive utilization of natural AEOs. In this review, the principles, advantages/disadvantages, and applicable scope of traditional industrial technologies and emerging laboratory technologies for the preparation of AEOs were sorted out in detail. Then, the multiple bioactivities and mechanisms of AEOs in food safety and healthy living, mainly including antibacterial and antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, insecticidal, wound healing, anti-tumor, regulating intestinal flora, relieving mental disorders, etc. were summarized. Thirdly, the challenges (including the potential allergenicity, safety in daily use, ecotoxicity, adulteration testing, structure-activity mechanisms in olfactory perception and emotional regulation, etc.) existing in the current research of AEOs were discussed. Most notably, the application prospects of emerging computing and artificial intelligence technologies such as virtual screening, network pharmacology, and machine learning in the development of active/drug-like AEOs were reviewed for the first time, which may provide new insights into the research and application of AEOs in food safety, healthy living, and other fields.