Nanoparticles Loaded with Essential Oils via Ultrasonication Technique: Overview, Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

Essential oils have been used for bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, antiparasitic, insecticidal, and other medicinal properties such as analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, and locally anaesthetic remedies since the Middle Ages. Essential oils are complex concoctions of a wide range of volatile molecules, terpenoids, phenol-derived aromatic components, and aliphatic components are examples of compounds with a strong interest in the pharmaceutical, sanitary, cosmetic, agricultural, and food industries. The effectiveness of essential oils, on the other hand, is determined by their stability and bioactivity. Ultrasonication technique is one of the best methods to approach for conservation of essential oils. It provides numerous advantages, including improved water solubility, effective degradation protection, and prevention of volatile component evaporation. In this review, focuses on the most outstanding contributions of nanotechnology in essential oils formulated via Ultrasonication technique. We emphasise the chemical composition of essential oils, the principle of Ultrasonication technique, the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles loaded with essential oil, and their current applications. Essential oils can perform as well as or better than chemically synthesised drugs. The occurrence of oil nanoencapsulation has been observed as a cost-effective method and the ultrasonication technique is a simpler, less energy-consuming, more reproducible, and widely valid method for the encapsulation of essential oils when compared to other formulation techniques.