Stabilization of Essential Oil: Polysaccharide-Based Drug Delivery System with Plant-like Structure Based on Biomimetic Concept

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) have stability problems, including volatility, oxidation, photosensitivity, heat sensitivity, humidity sensitivity, pH sensitivity, and ion sensitivity. A drug delivery system is an effective way to stabilize EOs, especially due to the protective effect of polymeric drug carriers. Polysaccharides are frequently employed as drug carrier materials because they are highly safe, come in a variety of forms, and have plentiful sources. Interestingly, the EO drug delivery system is based on the biomimetic concept since it corresponds to the structure of plant tissue. In this paper, we associate the biomimetic plant-like structures of the EO drug delivery system with the natural forms of EO in plant tissues, and summarize the characteristics of polysaccharide-based drug carriers for EO protection. Thus, we highlight the research progress on polysaccharides and their modified materials, including gum arabic, starch, cellulose, chitosan, sodium alginate, pectin, and pullulan, and their use as biomimetic drug carriers for EO preparations due to their abilities and potential for EO protection.

Formulation and Characterization of Double Emulsions W/O/W Stabilized by Two Natural Polymers with Two Manufacturing Processes (Comparative Study)

“…Addressing the growing preference for natural and biodegradable products, there is a growing interest in replacing these synthetic surfactants with more natural molecules, aligning with the contemporary trend outlined by K. Ezzroug (2019) [33]. Polysaccharides, primarily hydrophilic polymers, are commonly utilized in emulsion formulation due to their stabilizing properties [34,35]. They enhance the viscosity of the aqueous continuous phase [36] or induce gelation [37].…”