**1. Introduction**

The safety and quality of food is one of the most important factors which concerns the related industries as consumers prefer fresh and minimally/not processed products. Using various technical preservation methods have been reported in order to improve the shelf-life extension of seafood. Generally, these techniques are including simple methods like salting and freezing as well as more complicated methods such as chemical preservation and modified atmosphere packaging. Application of chemical and synthetic preservatives in seafood is globally common and convenient. During the last decades, antimicrobial and antioxidant additives, principally synthetic origin, are added to refrigerated seafood products for shelf-life extension. Nonetheless, consumers are interested in the use of natural origin material as alternative preservatives in food, since the safety risks of synthetic preservatives, excess antioxidants added to food might produce toxicities or mutagenicities, has been proved [1, 2].

Essential oils (EOs) are aromatic oily liquids including terpenoids, sesquiterpenes and possibly diterpenes with different groups of aliphatic hydrocarbons, acids, alcohols, aldehydes, acyclic esters or lactones which obtain from plants [3, 4] and algae extract [5, 6]. EOs are also known for their antioxidant, antimicrobial and pharmaceutical properties, thus, they can use as natural additives or preservatives in foods [7–9]. Moreover, EOs extracted from various plants have shown to possess several biological activities and potential health benefits including antidiabetic,

anti-inflammatory, anti-viral activities and antiprotozoal agent [10]. Among various techniques for extending the shelf-life of refrigerated seafood products, the application of biopolymer-based edible coatings and films are regularly the method of choice. Edible coatings from polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids can extend the shelf life of foods by functioning as a solute, gas, and vapor barriers [11]. Thus, essential oil incorporation into edible coatings or packaging can prevent the food spoilage and extend the food shelf life in particular fish products [12].

Therefore, great attention has been arisen to identified and used EOs in the food industry. This chapter provides an overview of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of EOs derived from different sources and their potential organoleptic beneficial and applications in shelf life extension of raw fishes.
