Antimicrobial Encapsulation Techniques for Essential Oils
Summary
Essential oils possess potent antimicrobial properties but are hindered by volatility, poor water solubility and chemical instability. Encapsulation strategies address these limitations by entrapping oil droplets within protective matrices or carrier systems. Common approaches include lipid-based vesicles (liposomes), nano- and microemulsions, polymeric nanoparticles and biopolymer complexes. These systems enhance oil stability, control release rates and improve interaction with microbial cell membranes. Encapsulation also permits synergistic formulations with antibiotics or other bioactives, reducing required dosages and combating resistance. Techniques such as interfacial polymerisation, coacervation and self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules yield capsules ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometres. Characterisation of particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency and release kinetics is critical to optimising antimicrobial performance. Encapsulated essential oils are finding applications in wound dressings, topical gels, food packaging and surface disinfectants, offering sustainable alternatives to synthetic preservatives and broad-spectrum biocides.
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Antimicrobial Encapsulation Techniques for Essential Oils publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in antimicrobial encapsulation techniques for essential oils across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Liposome: Spherical vesicle comprised of one or more phospholipid bilayers that encapsulate hydrophilic or lipophilic compounds for controlled release and enhanced stability.
Microemulsion: Thermodynamically stable, optically transparent mixture of oil, water, surfactant and co-surfactant forming nanoscale droplets for uniform delivery of lipophilic agents.
Nanoparticle: Solid colloidal particle in the 1–100 nm range used as a carrier for antimicrobial agents, offering improved bioavailability, targeting and controlled release.
References
- Advantageous Combinations of Nanoencapsulated Oregano Oil with Selected Antibiotics for Skin Treatment. Pharmaceutics (2022).
- Development and characterization of clove oil microemulsion. Pharmacia (2023).
- Antimicrobial Nanoformulations Based on Schinus areira Essential Oil. Drugs and Drug Candidates (2023).
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