Fuente: Foods - Revista científica (MDPI) Foods, Vol. 15, Pages 1942: Applications of Selected Nanoencapsulated Indigenous Essential Oils in Medicine, Food, and Agriculture: A Review
Foods doi: 10.3390/foods15111942
Authors:
Ongeziwe Sinazo Wutu
Babalwa Mpambani
Clarissa Marcelle Naidoo

The growing demand for natural, safe, and sustainable bioactive compounds has sparked interest in indigenous essential oils (EOs) for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and therapeutic properties. Their practical applications are often limited by poor solubility, volatility, and susceptibility to degradation when exposed to light, heat, and or oxygen. The literature lacks exploration of the indigenous EOs in nanoencapsulation studies. Using nanosystems and carriers, the oil can be delivered to targeted areas over a longer period. This is useful for various applications, including biopesticides, regenerative medicine, gene therapy, textiles, and antimicrobial coatings. Studies reveal that nanoencapsulated EOs exhibit higher insecticidal and antimicrobial activity than free oil. In this review, we observed that Lippia javanica is the most used EO in nanoencapsulation processes. This may be attributed to its broad spectrum of biological activities and its wide distribution in South Africa. This review examines the applications of selected nanoencapsulated indigenous EOs of the Eastern Cape province in medicine, food, and agriculture. The findings underscore the potential of nanoencapsulation to transform indigenous EOs into multifunctional agents that can support health, food security, and sustainable agricultural practices, while calling for further research on safety, regulatory frameworks, and commercialization pathways.