4-Carvomenthenol (Terpinen-4-ol) is an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. 4-Carvomenthenol is a fragrance ingredient used in decorative cosmetics, fine fragrances, shampoos, toilet soaps and other toiletries as well as in non-cosmetic products such as household cleaners and detergents. Its use worldwide is in the region of 1–10 metric tonnes per annum. The maximum skin level that results from the use of 4-carvementhenol in formulae that go into fine fragrances has been reported to be 0.13%. 4-Carvomenthenol has been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal effects as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. It is a putative anitcancer agent. 4-carvementhenol exerts its antitumor effects by triggering caspase-dependent apoptosis in human melanoma cells or by inducing necrotic cell death and cell-cycle arrest in mouse mesothelioma and melanomacell lines without affecting normal cells. Caspase-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction is the mechanism of terpinen-4-ol-induced apoptosis in nonsmall lung cancer cells. Down-regulation of Bcl-2, XIAP and survivin suggests that ter-pinen-4-ol increases the susceptibility of NSCLC cells toapoptosis induction. Notably, the ability of terpinen-4-ol to induce apoptosis in NSCLC cells is p53-dependent. It has also been shown that the growth of s.c. xenograft tumors was remarkably inhibited by intratumoral injection of terpinen-4-ol, indicating that the agent also has potential for clinical anticancer activity.

Benzyl acetate is used as a fragrance ingredient and occurs in different plants and fruits, e.g., jasmine, apple, tea, plum, wine grape. It possesses a sweet and pleasant aroma, owing to which, it finds applications in personal hygiene and health care products.

Citronellal is one of the main constituents of the essential oil from lemongrass (Cymbopogon). Citronellal is a major isolate from Cymbopogon plants, lemon-scented gum, and lemon-scented tea tree. Citronellal is a well-known plant-derived mosquito repellent. In addition, citronellal is very effective repellent against Sitophilus zeamais. Citronellal showed anticandidal activity against C. albicans and non-albicans species of Candida. Citronellal is effective as an analgesic compound in various rodent pain models, with its action probably mediated by the inhibition of peripheral mediators as well as central inhibitory mechanisms that could be related to its strong antioxidant effect observed in vitro.

Zingerone is one of the active phenolic components isolated from Zingiber officinale. Zingerone is primarily present in dry ginger, but cooking or drying also converts gingerol into zingerone by a retroaldol reaction. Chemically synthesized zingerone is vanillyl acetone, which is a member of the phenolic alkanone group, and its varied pharmacological properties include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Thus, zingeroneshowed strong anti-angiogenic activity via the inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 during tumor progression. Zingerone was likely to be broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory agents in most organs that suppressed the activation of NF-κB, the production of IL-1β, and the infiltration of inflammatory cells in mice. Zingerone effectively inhibits 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colon carcinogenesis in male Wistar rats. Zingerone possess radioprotective effects in laboratory animals and in cultured cells in vitro. Zingerone produced marked improvement in stress induced irritable bowel disorder, which could be attributed to the powerful antioxidant nature, direct effect on the intestinal smooth muscle and adaptogenic nature. Analysis of the qualities that constituted zingerone irritation found that the sensations produced are predominantly burning and warmth, making it qualitatively similar to capsaicin.