"An Overview of Recent Developments in Safron Nanoemulsion Encapsulation"

Abstract

Saffron is a costly, bulbous, stemless herb whose various bioactive constituents, including crocins, crocetin, safranal, picrocrocin, and essential oils, have excellent nutritional and therapeutic characteristics. Saffron nanoencapsulation is a feasible technique for improving the bioactivity and bioavailability of its bioactive components and their storage stability. Owing to its antibacterial properties, saffron can be put into various food products to extend their shelf life. The recent publications revealed a unique nanoemulsion formulation of saffron extract and a preparation method using a high-speed homogenizer followed by ultrasonication. This technology offers new prospects for the food and pharmaceutical industry to preserve saffron's color, flavor, aroma, and medicinal ingredients in environmental and gastrointestinal conditions. Additional research and collaboration between research laboratories and the industry are needed. This literature review examined recent investigations on the manufacturing and application of saffron nanoemulsions. This research discusses the application of the ultrasonic nanoemulsification technique for saffron extraction, nanoencapsulation, and the possible antibacterial characteristics of saffron.