Biological activity

Chemistry

Antimicrobial

Food science

Biochemistry

Terpene

Organic chemistry

Borneol

Geraniol

Essential oil

Pathology

Traditional Chinese medicine

Combinatorial chemistry

Monoterpene

In vitro

Alternative medicine

Camphor

Medicine

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Monoterpenes, comprising hydrocarbons, are the largest class of plant secondary metabolites and are commonly found in essential oils. Monoterpenes and their derivatives are key ingredients in the design and production of new biologically active compounds. This review focuses on selected aliphatic, monocyclic, and bicyclic monoterpenes like geraniol, thymol, myrtenal, pinene, camphor, borneol, and their modified structures. The compounds in question play a pivotal role in biological and medical applications. The review also discusses anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticonvulsant, analgesic, antiviral, anticancer, antituberculosis, and antioxidant biological activities exhibited by monoterpenes and their derivatives. Particular attention is paid to the link between biological activity and the effect of structural modification of monoterpenes and monoterpenoids, as well as the introduction of various functionalized moieties into the molecules in question.

Monoterpenes and Their Derivatives—Recent Development in Biological and Medical Applications