Dill essential oil or Dill oil benefits are due to rich in antioxidants, has antibacterial and antifungal properties, and may lower cholesterol levels. It is obtained by steam distillation from the seeds, leaves, and stems of the dill plant. The seeds of Dill produce the highest percentage which is 3-5%. Dill oil is obtained from two different varieties of European dill (Anethum graveolens L.) and Indian dill (Anethum sowa L.), belonging to the Apiaceae family.
Uses of Dill essential oil
It is widely used in the food industry because of its characteristic aroma and flavor. It is also used as a perfumery to aromatize detergents, and soaps and as a substitute for caraway oil. Dill oil benefits are because of its pharmacological importance in the treatment of stomach illnesses, relieving gas, helping to settle colic antibacterial, antifungal activities, relieving pain, anticonvulsant, and anti-vomiting.
Common name
Shatapushpa (Anethum sowa Kurz.) Ayurveda, dereotu (local name), Shapat
Geographical distribution
Dill is a native of Europe, the Mediterranean region, Nepal, Peru, Spain, Turkey, and Venezuela. It is mainly cultivated in Pakistan, India, Sudan, U. S. A., the Bahamas, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Great Britain, Iraq, and the West Indies (1).
Dill essential oil constituent
Dill oil is volatile, and light yellow with a spice or fruit-like odor. It has an acrid taste due to carvone (23.1%) with limonene (45%) and paraffin hydrocarbon. The typical flavor of dill herb oil is due to α-phellandrene, limonene, and dill ether (anethofuran) (2).
Constituents |
Percentage |
| Apiol | 81.99 % |
| α-Phellandrene | 19.12 % |
| limonene | 26.34 % |
| dill ether | 15.23% |
| sabinene | 11.34% |
| α-pinene | 2% |
| n-tetracosane | 1.54% |
| neophytadiene | 1.43% |
| n-docosane | 1.04 % |
| n-tricosane | 1 % |
| n-nonadecane | 1 % |
| n-eicosane | 0.78% |
| n-heneicosane | 0.67 % |
| β-myrcene | 0.23% |
| α-tujene | 0.21% |
Dill essential oil benefits
1. Potential antimicrobial properties
Dill essential oil contains antimicrobial compounds like monoterpenes, carvone, and limonene. Which may be effective against various bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, and Salmonella typhi.
This oil also inhibits the growth of fungi like Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Sacharomyces cerevaceae, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Zymoseptoria tritici, Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium verticillioides (3, 4).
2. Presence of antioxidants
Apiol, limonene (45%) sabinene (32%), carvone, and its derivatives found in dill essential oil may act as natural antioxidants. Therefore are potent scavengers of free radicals and useful for the treatment of premature aging and cancer therapy by preventing oxidative damage through lipid peroxidation (5).
3. May have anti-inflammatory properties
Carvone and limonene present in dill essential oil exhibit anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects thus this oil is beneficial to treat inflammation and pain (6).
4. Wound healing properties
The oil contains α-phellandrene, p-cymene, and carvone. Therefore, the application of an ointment containing dill essential oil prevents bacterial growth and reduces inflammation and infected wound area by improving re-epithelialization, angiogenesis, fibroblast, and collagen deposition (8).
5. Mosquito repellents
Dill essential oil (1.2%) can be used to prevent or reduce the growth of mosquito larvae. As it contains p-Cymenealpha (20.81%), alpha-Phellandrene (20.75%), Carvone (10.97%), Dill ether (9.88%), and cis-Sabinol (3.61%) having good larvicidal activity against Anopheles stephensi and reduce the growth (90%) of larvae (9).
6. Dill essential oil helps to treat vaginal candidiasis
Carvone and limonene found in dill essential oil (2% v/v) are active against several strains of candida including Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei, and Candida tropicalis by damaging the plasma membrane of yeast.
Therefore, this oil shows anti-candida effects and is a promising alternative for the treatment of Candida vaginal infection (monilial vaginitis) (10, 11).
7. Insecticidal properties of Dill essential oil
Dill essential oil contains a good amount of carvone and limonene which show insecticide effects against pests like Tribolium castaneum (wheat flour insect pest), Sitotroga cerealella, Sitophilus oryzae, Sitophilus zeamais, and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (stored-grain insects and mites) (12,13)
8. Lowers the cholesterol levels
Daily intake of dill essential oil for 2 weeks shows a wonderful effect on reduction in total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) known as bad cholesterol, and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) also called good cholesterol because this oil contains alpha-phellandrene (32%), limonene (28%) and carvone (28%) which lower the triacylglyceride levels by almost 42% and is a promising cardioprotective agent (14).
9. Treat the liver injury
Oral administration of dill tablets (100 and 300 mg/kg) shows hepatoprotective activities and prevents liver cell damage induced by CCl4 toxicity (15).
Interesting note
Dill essential oil is also useful to increase the shelf life of beef due to its antioxidant properties (16).
Side effects of Dill essential oil
1. Maybe allergic to some people
Dill essential oil has no or fewer side effects. It may rarely lead to allergic reactions, vomiting, diarrhea, oral pruritus, urticaria tongue, and throat swelling.
2. Lactating and pregnant women should avoid
Although there are no studies done on the long-term effects of dill essential oil on a person’s health. But during Lactation and pregnancy, it will be good to avoid this oil because of no one (17).
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