Ruta Essential Oils: Composition and Bioactivities

L. is a typical genus of the citrus family, . and comprises ca. 40 different species, mainly distributed in the Mediterranean region. species have long been used in traditional medicines as an abortifacient and emmenagogue and for the treatment of lung diseases and microbial infections. The genus is rich in essential oils, which predominantly contain aliphatic ketones, e.g., 2-undecanone and 2-nonanone, but lack any significant amounts of terpenes. Three species, L., L., and L., have been extensively studied for the composition of their essential oils and several bioactivities, revealing their potential medicinal and agrochemical applications. This review provides a systematic evaluation and critical appraisal of publications available in the literature on the composition and bioactivities of the essential oils obtained from species and includes a brief outlook of the potential applications of nanotechnology and chitosan-based products of essential oils.