Biotechnological Applications of Nanoencapsulated Essential Oils: A Review

Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds that originate from different plant tissues, including flowers, buds, leaves and bark. According to their chemical composition, EOs have a characteristic aroma and present a wide spectrum of applications, namel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polymers 2022-12, Vol.14 (24), p.5495
Main Authors: Albuquerque, Patrícia Melchionna, Azevedo, Sidney Gomes, de Andrade, Cleudiane Pereira, D'Ambros, Natália Corrêa de Souza, Pérez, Maria Tereza Martins, Manzato, Lizandro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antimicrobial agents
Antioxidants
Bark
Barriers
Bioavailability
Biological activity
Biological properties
Biopolymers
Chemical composition
Constituents
Controlled release
Cosmetics industry
Efficiency
Encapsulation
Essences and essential oils industry
Essential oils
Ingredients
Metabolites
Nanoemulsions
Nanoparticles
Nanotechnology
Natural products
Oils & fats
Oxidation
Plants (botany)
Polymers
Review
Technology application
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds
Volatility
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Summary:Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds that originate from different plant tissues, including flowers, buds, leaves and bark. According to their chemical composition, EOs have a characteristic aroma and present a wide spectrum of applications, namely in the food, agricultural, environmental, cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. These applications are mainly due to their biological properties. However, EOs are unstable and easily degradable if not protected from external factors such as oxidation, heat and light. Therefore, there is growing interest in the encapsulation of EOs, since polymeric nanocarriers serve as a barrier between the oil and the environment. In this context, nanoencapsulation seems to be an interesting approach as it not only prevents the exposure and degradation of EOs and their bioactive constituents by creating a physical barrier, but it also facilitates their controlled release, thus resulting in greater bioavailability and efficiency. In this review, we focused on selecting recent articles whose objective concerned the nanoencapsulation of essential oils from different plant species and highlighted their chemical constituents and their potential biotechnological applications. We also present the fundamentals of the most commonly used encapsulation methods, and the biopolymer carriers that are suitable for encapsulating EOs.
ISSN:2073-4360
2073-4360
DOI:10.3390/polym14245495