Matricaria is a widespread genus of flowering plants of the family Asteraceae that grow in temperate regions of Europe, Asia, America and Africa. Some of the species are also naturalized in Australia. Some species of this genus such as Chamomiles are recognized medicinal plants and cultivated in several countries for commercial purposes: to obtain its blue essence, as herbal tea, and for pharmaceutical or cosmeceutical uses. The phytochemical composition of Matricaria spp. includes volatile terpenoids (e.g., α-bisabolol, bisabolol oxide A and B, β-trans-farnesene and chamazulene), sesquiterpene lactones such as matricin, and phenolic compounds (flavonoids, coumarins and phenolic acids). Their essential oil is obtained from the fresh or dried inflorescences by steam distillation, and additionally cohobation of the remaining water. The volatile composition of the essential oil, especially the content of the valuable components α-bisabolol and chamazulene, depends on the plant part, origin and quality of the source, genetic, and environmental factors. Moreover, other parameters, such as season of harvest and methods of extraction, can affect the extraction yield of the essential oils/extracts, their composition and, therefore, their bioactivity. Due to the importance of this genus and particularly M. recutita (M. chamomilla), this review focus on its cultivation, factor affecting essential oils’ composition and their role in traditional medicine, as antibacterial agents and finally as food preservatives.

母菊属是菊科（Asteraceae）的开花植物的广泛属，其生长在欧洲，亚洲，美洲和非洲的温带地区。一些种类也已在澳大利亚归化。该属的某些物种，例如洋甘菊，被认为是药用植物，并在一些国家被种植用于商业目的：获得其蓝色精华（如凉茶）以及用于药物或药妆。母菊属植物的植物化学组成。包括挥发性萜类化合物（例如，α-bisabolol，bissabolol A和B，β-反式-法呢烯和chamazulene），倍半萜烯内酯（例如胃泌素）和酚类化合物（类黄酮，香豆素和酚酸）。它们的精油是通过蒸汽蒸馏从新鲜的或干燥的花序中获得的，并与剩余的水共混。香精油的挥发性成分，尤其是有价值的成分α-bisabolol和chamazulene的含量，取决于植物部位，来源和质量，遗传和环境因素。此外，其他参数，例如收获季节和提取方法，可能会影响精油/提取物的提取收率，其组成，从而影响其生物活性。由于这个属的重要性，特别是recutita（M. chamomilla），本综述着重于其栽培，影响精油成分的因素及其在传统药物，抗菌剂和最终作为食品防腐剂中的作用。