Natural products are a rich source for the design and construction of new biologically or analytically relevant molecules. Multidirectional activity of essential oils (EOs) is widely described in literature: among them antioxidants, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, allelopathic, repellent, insecticidal, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties are highlighted. EOs are widely used in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.
Many EOs are constituted by phenolic compounds, such as eugenol, thymol and carvacrol, where a presence of hydroxyl group makes them potential siderophores, as a small, high-affinity iron-chelating ligands. Iron acquisition through siderophores is a widely spread strategy among pathogens, in environmental research. For instance, siderophores function as biocontrols, biosensors, and bioremediation and chelation agents.
Considering these facts, the chelation of some EOs are evaluated by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy in relation to various metal cations, as potential ligands.