New Tricks for Old Guys: Recent Developments in the Chemistry, Biochemistry, Applications and Exploitation of Selected Species from the Lamiaceae Family

Lamiaceae is one of the largest families of flowering plants comprising about 250 genera and over 7,000species. Most of the plants of this family are aromatic and therefore important source of essential oils. Lamiaceaeare widely used as culinary herbs and reported as medicinal plants in several folk traditions. In the Mediterraneanarea oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme and lavender stand out for geographical diffusion and variety of uses. Theaim of this review is to provide recent data dealing with the phytochemical and pharmacological studies, andthe more recent applications of the essential oils and the non-volatile phytocomplexes. This literature surveysuggests how the deeper understanding of biomolecular processes in the health and food sectors as per as pestcontrol bioremediation of cultural heritage, or interaction with human microbiome, fields, leads to therediscovery and new potential applications of well-known plants.