## 3 Chemical Composition of _Hyssopus officinalis_ L. and _Agastache foeniculum_ (Pursh) Kuntze EOs
### Antimicrobial Activity of Agastache foneiculum (Pursh) Kuntze
#### 4.2.2 Antibacterial Activity
A community list of authorized substances is currently being developed, considering the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluation of each compound, and they are included in Regulation (EC) 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (EC, 2025) on flavorings and certain food ingredients with flavoring properties for use in and on foods [52]. Table 9 presents some of the compounds found in _A. foeniculum_ EO that have restrictive use. Also, the Regulation provides the EFSA's opinion on a large number of compounds found in _A. foeniculum_ and _H. officinalis_ EOs that can be use as food flavorings, such as limonene, \(\alpha\)-phellandrene, \(\beta\)-caryophyllene, \(\beta\)-cimene, linalool, menthol, myrtenol, elemol, and 1,8-cineole, among others [52]. There are few studies presenting the in vitro toxicity of _H. officinalis_ EO. [PERSON] et al., 2009 [27] and [PERSON] et al., 2021 [29] tested the EO from _H. officialis_ by the AMES test \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c l c c} \hline \hline \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Name of the Compound**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Foods in Which the Compounds**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Maximum Level mg/kg**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Reference**} \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Estragole} & Dairy products & 50 & \\  & Processed fruits and vegetables, nuts, & 50 & \\  & and seeds & & \\  & Fish products & 50 & \\  & Non-alcoholic beverages & 10 & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Methyl eugenol} & Dairy products & 25 & \\  & Meat preparations and meat products & 15 & \\  & Fish preparations and fish products & 10 & \\  & Soups and sauces & 60 & \\  & Ready-to-eat savories & 20 & \\  & Non-alcoholic beverages & 1 & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Pulegone} & Mint/peppermint-containing & \multirow{4}{*}{250} & \multirow{4}{*}{
\begin{tabular}{} \end{tabular} } \\  & confectionery, except micro & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & breath-freshening confectionery & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Micro breath-freshening confectionery & 2000 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Chewing gum & 350 & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Mint/peppermint-containing & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & non-alcoholic beverages & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & Mint/peppermint-containing alcoholic & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & beverages & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 9: Foods in which the presence of the EO compounds are restricted. and demonstrated that it did not present any mutagenic effect. [PERSON] et al., 2021 [23] tested the genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential of EO using the Comet assay, and it did not exhibit a genotoxic effect. Regarding the antigenotoxic effect, EO displayed weaker yet statistically significant activity. These results could make _H. officinalis_ EO suitable for food utilization, but further research is needed in order to establish the optimal dosage for food utilization. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies assessing the toxicity of the EO of _A. feniculum_. There are, however, some studies regarding the insecticidal effects. The primary active compounds responsible for it are monoterepenes [51]. It was demonstrated that the EO of _A. feniculum_ had strong toxicity against _Tribolium castaneum_ (the red flour beetle) larvae [53], against adult _T. castaneum_ and _Rhyzpertha dominica_ (the lesser grain borer) that affect grains during storage [44], and against adult _Callosobruchus maculatus_ F. (cowpea seed beetle), an important pest of several plants [54]. Food-Related Applications of _Hyssopus officinalis_ L. and _Agastache foeniculum_ (Purnh) Kuntze EOs  
In many food products, due to the hydrophobic nature of EO components, the bioactive potential is hindered by interactions with the food matrix, including fat, starch, and proteins [5]. Pure EOs are highly sensitive to environmental stress, making their long-term use in food and beverages challenging. Their water insolubility and volatility are key limitations, while additional factors such as light, heat, humidity, pH, and oxygen further impact their stability.