Natural Product-cum-Nano Laboratory Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Main Campus Chatha, Jammu-180 009, Jammu and Kashmir, India
*Corresponding Author: Sanjay Guleria, Natural Product-cum-Nano Laboratory Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Sher-e- Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Main Campus Chatha, Jammu-180 009, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Email: guleria71@gmail.com
Online Published on 15 July, 2022.
An upsurge in the global demand for safe and healthy food with minimal synthetic preservatives has raised the need for natural antimicrobial agents. Plant based products, especially essential oils (EOs) exhibit strong antimicrobial activities that could play a significant role as a novel source of food preservatives. However, hydrophobicity, high volatility, susceptibility to oxidation, low stability and solubility limit the uses of essential oils. Therefore, nanoencapsulation could be promising technique to address these limitations as it prevents the exposure and degradation of essential oils, by creating a physical barrier that protects the bioactive constituents. Furthermore, it also facilitates their controlled release, resulting into enhanced bioavailability as well as efficacy in the food system. Present review highlights the various encapsulating methods and provides insight about some encapsulated essential oils and their bioactive properties.
Antimicrobial, Essential oils (EOs), Nano-encapsulation, Preservatives
