Abstract:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of medicinal plants used for treatment is around 20,000, and since ancient times it has been used to give foods taste, smell and color. In many industries, such as medicine, food, perfume and cosmetics, natural plants and their flying oils, because they are used as raw materials, have been discussed in numerous fields of research, especially in terms of their antimicrobial effects since 1940 and so far, and significant results have been achieved. Plants with antimicrobial activity are used in foods as protective substances, for medical purposes, anti-helmintic, anti-fungal and in the fight against plant harmful, foreign herbs. Antioxidants are systems that destroy the effects of free radicals. Today, due to increasing concerns about the reliability of synthetic antioxidants, a strong interest in the food industry has emerged in the obtaining of natural antioxidants from various plant materials. This has led to the increased use of medicinal and aromatic plants, which have a great potential as a natural source of antioxidants, in order to prevent oxidation in fat foods such as meat, milk and baking products. This article provides accumulated information about the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of various medicinal and aromatic plants due to their ever-growing importance.

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