The consumer preference for clean-label products is requiring the food industry to reformulate their products by replacing artificial additives with natural alternatives. Essential oils are natural antimicrobials isolated from plant sources that have the potential to combat many foodborne pathogens and spoilage organisms. This review begins by discussing the antimicrobial properties of essential oils, the relationships between their chemical structure and antimicrobial efficacy, and their potential limitations for commercial applications (such as strong flavor, volatility, and chemical instability). We then review the commonly used methods for screening the antimicrobial efficacy of essential oils and elucidating their mechanisms of action. Finally, potential applications of essential oils as antimicrobials in foods are reviewed and the major types of food-grade delivery systems available for improving their efficacy are discussed.

中文翻译：

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提高精油作为食品中抗菌剂的功效：作用机理。

消费者对清洁标签产品的偏爱要求食品行业通过用天然替代品替代人工添加剂来重新配制其产品。香精油是从植物来源中分离出来的天然抗菌剂，具有抗击许多食源性病原体和腐败生物的潜力。这篇综述首先讨论了香精油的抗菌特性，其化学结构与抗菌功效之间的关系，以及它们在商业应用中的潜在局限性（例如强烈的风味，挥发性和化学不稳定性）。然后，我们回顾了用于筛选精油的抗菌功效并阐明其作用机理的常用方法。最后，