Preparation, Characterization, In Vitro Release, and Antibacterial Activity of Oregano Essential Oil Chitosan Nanoparticles

Abstract

Essential oils have unique functional properties, but their environmental sensitivity and poor water solubility limit their applications. Therefore, we encapsulated oregano essential oil (OEO) in chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) and used tripolyphosphate (TPP) as a cross-linking agent to produce oregano essential oil chitosan nanoparticles (OEO-CSNPs). The optimized conditions obtained using the Box–Behnken design were: a chitosan concentration of 1.63 mg/mL, TPP concentration of 1.27 mg/mL, and OEO concentration of 0.30%. The OEO-CSNPs had a particle size of 182.77 ± 4.83 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.26 ± 0.01, a zeta potential of 40.53 ± 0.86 mV, and an encapsulation efficiency of 92.90%. The success of OEO encapsulation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed that the OEO-CSNPs had a regular distribution and spherical shape. The in vitro release profile at pH = 7.4 showed an initial burst release followed by a sustained release of OEO. The antibacterial activity of OEO before and after encapsulation was measured using the agar disk diffusion method. In conclusion, OEO can be used as an antibacterial agent in future food processing and packaging applications because of its high biological activity and excellent stability when encapsulated.

Development of a Clioquinol Nanocarrier as a New, Promising Option for the Treatment of Dermatomycosis

“…Comparing the spectra of CQ and LBN-CQ ( Figure 3 e), the disappearance of characteristic bands of CQ at 1576 cm −1 and 1041 cm −1 and band shifts from 1605 cm −1 to 1639 cm −1 and from 1200 cm −1 to 1217 cm −1 were observed. The disappearance or shifts of characteristic bands from CQ can indicate interactions of the drug with the nanosystem, reiterating its presence in the nanocarrier [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ]. These findings, along with the high encapsulation efficiency, could be an indication of drug encapsulation in the nanoformulation [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ].…”

“…The disappearance or shifts of characteristic bands from CQ can indicate interactions of the drug with the nanosystem, reiterating its presence in the nanocarrier [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ]. These findings, along with the high encapsulation efficiency, could be an indication of drug encapsulation in the nanoformulation [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ].…”

Gelatin Improves the Performance of Oregano Essential Oil Nanoparticle Composite Films—Application to the Preservation of Mullet

“…The nanoparticles were prepared via ionic cross-linking, with reference to the method described by Ma et al [ 10 ].…”

“…The use of essential oils in edible coatings, with their active polymer systems forming nanoparticles that can deliver essential bioactive compounds, has been shown to reduce oxidation, water changes and the loss of food texture or aroma induced by molecular activities such as oxidation, carbon dioxide and water vapor [ 10 ], while also controlling the release of antimicrobial agents. Such edible coatings, thus, continue to function as active substances during food storage.…”

Preparation of Green Anti-Staphylococcus aureus Inclusion Complexes Containing Hinoki Essential Oil

“…Nonetheless, HEO is extremely volatile and susceptible to oxidative damage when exposed to light, oxygen and heat [ 7 ]. Furthermore, the property of its high hydrophobicity severely hinders the adaptation to some biodegradable food packaging materials like chitosan, cellulose and alginate [ 14 , 15 ].…”