Essential Oil-Based Nanoemulsions

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 March 2026 | Viewed by 696

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Amapá, Campus Marco Zero, Macapá 68903-419, Brazil
Interests: volatile oil; monoterpene; sesquiterpene; phenylpropanoid; dynamic light scattering
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Essential oils are volatile oils extracted from plants by various methods. Their intrinsic immiscibility in water makes them good candidates for nanoemulsions. The latter colloids are nanometric dispersions, often oil in water, with a disperse phase constituted by fine droplets in the nanometric range. This Special Issue focuses on essential oil-based nanoemulsions, specifically their generation, stabilization, characterization, release of compounds, and biological properties, among others.

Dr. Pinho Fernandes Fernandes
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • volatile oil
  • monoterpene
  • sesquiterpene
  • phenylpropanoid
  • dynamic light scattering

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 3030 KB  
Article
Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties of Ocotea indecora Essential Oil and Its Nanoemulsion
by Francisco Paiva Machado, Julia C. Scaffo, Leonardo A. Pinto, Renata F. A. Pereira, Sorele Fiaux, Luiz Antonio M. Keller, Eduardo Ricci-Júnior, Ana Paula dos Santos Matos, Fabio Aguiar-Alves, Caio P. Fernandes, Jorge A. D. Duarte and Leandro Rocha
Pharmaceuticals 2025, 18(12), 1909; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18121909 - 18 Dec 2025
Viewed by 394
Abstract
Background: Antimicrobial resistance and fungal contamination remain major threats to public health and agriculture, emphasizing the need for innovative alternatives. Plant-derived products are a promising alternative, and nanoformulations may further enhance their activity. Objective: This study investigated the antimicrobial potential of Ocotea indecora [...] Read more.
Background: Antimicrobial resistance and fungal contamination remain major threats to public health and agriculture, emphasizing the need for innovative alternatives. Plant-derived products are a promising alternative, and nanoformulations may further enhance their activity. Objective: This study investigated the antimicrobial potential of Ocotea indecora essential oil and its nanoemulsion. Methods/Results: The essential oil chemical characterization by GC-MS revealed sesquirosefuran (91.61%) as the main constituent. A factorial design guided the selection of an optimized nanoemulsion, which exhibited spherical nanometric droplets (79 nm and 0.029 PdI) with long-term stability. The essential oil inhibited the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains at 1 to 2 mg/mL, while the nanoemulsion enhanced bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus. In contrast, antifungal assays revealed a more pronounced effect, with the nanoemulsion lowering the minimum inhibitory concentrations (625 µg/mL) against Thielaviopsis ethacetica, thereby enhancing the inhibitory activity of the essential oil (2.5 mg/mL). Morphological alterations, including thinner hyphae and impaired sporulation, were also detected, suggesting a reduction in fungal virulence. Conclusions: In summary, O. indecora essential oil shows promising antimicrobial potential, and nanoemulsification proved particularly effective in potentiating fungistatic activity while offering limited enhancement of bactericidal effects. The results support the potential of O. indecora derivatives as natural candidates for the development of novel antimicrobial strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Essential Oil-Based Nanoemulsions)
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