Microencapsulation of Essential Oils: A Review

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of volatile compounds extracted from different parts of plants by different methods. There is a large diversity of these natural substances with varying properties that lead to their common use in several areas. The agrochemical, pharmaceutical, medical, food, and textile industry, as well as cosmetic and hygiene applications are some of the areas where EOs are widely included. To overcome the limitation of EOs being highly volatile and reactive, microencapsulation has become one of the preferred methods to retain and control these compounds. This review explores the techniques for extracting essential oils from aromatic plant matter. Microencapsulation strategies and the available technologies are also reviewed, along with an in-depth overview of the current research and application of microencapsulated EOs.

Dietary supplementation with a microencapsulated complex of thymol, carvacrol, and cinnamaldehyde improves intestinal barrier function in weaning piglets

“…However, most of the EOs are unstable and have an unpleasant odor, which hampers their application in the breeding industry 17 . Microencapsulation has been shown to protect EOs from oxidation and reduce the release of unpleasant odor 18 . We previously prepared a microencapsulated essential oil (MEEO) product containing 5% carvacrol, 2% thymol, and 3% cinnamaldehyde, and evaluated its effects on intestinal health.…”

“…17 Microencapsulation has been shown to protect EOs from oxidation and reduce the release of unpleasant odor. 18 We previously prepared a microencapsulated essential oil (MEEO) product containing 5% carvacrol, 2% thymol, and 3% cinnamaldehyde, and evaluated its effects on intestinal health. The results showed that dietary supplementation with 100 mg kg −1 MEEO reduced the negative effects of the common EOs (unencapsulated), ameliorated the antioxidative capacity of the small intestine and promoted beneficial bacteria colonization in the large intestine of weaning piglets, while chlortetracycline (CTC) showed an adverse effect, suggesting that MEEO may help to improve intestinal health in a different way from CTC.…”

Role of Essential Oils and Bioactive Components for Manufacturing Cosmetic Items

“…[73] In recent years, essential oils and other EOCs have been increasingly popular choices for inclusion in a wide variety of skin care products. Because of the potential benefits that compounds like these offer in terms of keeping youthful, healthy skin and insulating it from environmental damage [74,75], there has been a recent surge in the use of skincare products that contain compounds like these. EOs have a crucial role in the preservation of healthy skin, both in terms of the microbiota that live on the skin and the protective function that the stratum corneum provides [76].…”

A Qualitative Investigation of Volatile Organic Components of Antimicrobial Oil Smoke Vapors

“…There are different types of disinfectants from various sources. Perfume oils (mixture of natural essential oils and odoriferous organic chemicals) were active in destroying microorganisms either by direct contact with the oils or their vapors [9] [10] [11] [12]. In addition, volatile compounds like trans-2-hexenal, 2,4-hexadienal, furfural, β-ionone, and 1-nonanal found to occur naturally in corn ears inhibit the growth of Aspergillus flavus [13].…”