Ethylene oxide (oxirane) is the simplest cyclic ether. It is a colorless gas or liquid and has a sweet, etheric odor. Ethylene oxide is an important raw material used in the manufacture of chemical derivatives. Ethylene oxide is very reactive because its highly strained ring can be opened easily, and is thus one of the most versatile chemical intermediates. The ability of ethylene oxide to damage DNA makes it an effective sterilizing agent but also accounts for its cancer-causing activity.

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.

Piperine is a simple and pungent alkaloid found in the seeds of black pepper (Piper nigrum). Following its isolation and full characterization, the biological properties of piperine have been extensively studied, and piperine-like derivatives have shown an interesting range of pharmacological activities. Piperine is currently paving its way to become a privileged scaffold for the development of bioactive compounds with therapeutic application in multiple human diseases. In particular, piperine derivatives were shown to modulate the activity of several targets related to neurological disorders, including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, depression and pain related disorders. Moreover, the efflux pump inhibitory ability of piperine and its analogues tackles important drug resistance mechanisms and may improve the clinical efficacy of antibiotic and anticancer drugs. Piperine has been found to have immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant, anti-asthmatic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, and anti-amoebic properties.

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.

Morpholine salicylate is a derivative of salicylic acid. It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and was marketed under a tradename Retarcyl, Dolical and Deposal.

Lauric acid, or dodecanoic acid, is the main acid in coconut oil and in palm kernel oil, and is believed to have antimicrobial properties. The detected values of half maximal effective concentration (EC(50)) of lauric acid on P. acnes, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis growth indicate that P. acnes is the most sensitive to lauric acid among these bacteria. In addition, lauric acid did not induce cytotoxicity to human sebocytes. This data highlight the potential of using lauric acid as an alternative treatment for antibiotic therapy of acne vulgaris. Lauric acid is used in the manufacture of soaps, detergents, cosmetics, and lauryl alcohol.