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Review
. 2023 Jun 2;9(6):e16543.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16543. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Polymeric nanoparticles for enhanced delivery and improved bioactivity of essential oils

Sherif Babatunde Adeyemi  1 , Aishat Mojisola Akere  2 , Joshua Iseoluwa Orege  3   4 , Onome Ejeromeghene  5 , Odunola Blessing Orege  6 , Jubril Olayinka Akolade  7   8
Affiliations
Review

Polymeric nanoparticles for enhanced delivery and improved bioactivity of essential oils

Sherif Babatunde Adeyemi et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Essential oils are volatile constituents that give aromatic plants their characteristic odour. The application of these plant actives in food, agriculture, pharmaceutics, and cosmetics has been widely studied. Aromatherapy, a complementary therapy involving the use of essential oils to treat several diseases ranging from microbial infections to metabolic dysfunctions, has been utilised for centuries. Anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities are well-established among other pharmacological properties of these aromatic oils. The oils, which are composed mainly of terpene-based compounds, have also been explored as nutraceuticals, alternative green preservatives, and functional additives in foods. However, due to their physicochemical properties, viz high volatility and low aqueous solubility, essential oil delivery to target receptors were challenging when administered as chemotherapeutics. Hence, formulating essential oils with suitable excipients to enhance their delivery and bioavailability, invariably improving their bioactivity and therapeutic efficacy becomes expedient. Nanotechnology presents a unique strategy to develop a particulate delivery system for the controlled, sustained, and extended release of essential oils. In this review, we examine and summarize the trends and developments in the formulation of essential oils using polymeric nanoparticles.

Keywords: Bioactivity; Drug delivery; Essential oils; Nanoparticles; Polymers.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Various bioactivities of essential oils.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schematic illustration of PNPs in the form of (a) nanosphere, (b) nanocapsule, (c) Polymeric micelles and (d) polyplex nanoparticles [[61], [65]].
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Schematic illustration of the synthesis of nanosphere PNPs [74].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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