Yihan Wang, Jinjin Dou, Yingqi Wang, Guanai Mu, Xiwu Zhang
Institute of Chinese Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
The Four Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
Front Pharmacol. 2025 Apr 17;16:1578280. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1578280. eCollection 2025.
Essential oils, often referred to as "liquid gold," are renowned for their broad biological activity. Ancient Egyptians used essential oils' antibacterial and antiseptic effects to preserve mummies, ancient Greeks used olive oil for sun protection, and ancient Chinese used essential oils to treat wounds. When essential oils are applied to the facial skin, their potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial pharmacological characteristics provide various benefits, including sunscreen, skin-whitening, and anti-aging effects.
This paper aims to summarize the application of plant essential oil in skin whitening, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial in recent years, and deeply analyzes the internal relationship between essential oil and modern drug delivery system, expounds how to overcome the limitations of essential oil through specific drug delivery system, to enhance its biological activity and stability, realize sustained release and reduce its potential toxicity, and also discusses the positive effects of essential oil on brain function through olfactory pathway, emphasizes the possible safety risks in the use of essential oil, and puts forward corresponding suggestions for use.
Using keywords such as "essential oils," "antioxidant," "anti-tyrosinase," Antibacterial Effects and anti-inflammatory," "anti-anxiety," and "drug carrier delivery systems," a comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, CNKI, Baidu, and Wanfang databases to summarize articles from the past 5 years. Further screening was performed to select studies demonstrating the efficacy of essential oils through topical or external application.
Various essential oils showed their efficacy as strong oxidants, antibacterial agents, anti-inflammatory agents, and skin-whitening agents. Combined with a new drug delivery system, it not only enhances the biological activity of essential oil but also reduces the inherent defects of essential oil, such as volatility, irritation, and toxicity, and has a targeted delivery effect. At the same time, the integration of essential oil into skin care products can make use of the dual functions of smell and the epidermal system to nourish and repair the skin and maximize the pharmacological effects of essential oil.
This review delves into the application of essential oils and delivery systems, advocating for a broader integration of natural plant resources with modern technology. By strategically utilizing essential oils, we can promote the sustainable development of the global economy. However, extensive clinical trials are still required to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of essential oil delivery systems.
精油常被称为“液体黄金”，以其广泛的生物活性而闻名。古埃及人利用精油的抗菌和防腐作用来保存木乃伊，古希腊人用橄榄油防晒，而古代中国人则用精油治疗伤口。当精油应用于面部皮肤时，其强大的抗炎、抗氧化和抗菌药理特性带来了多种益处，包括防晒、美白和抗衰老效果。
本文旨在总结近年来植物精油在皮肤美白、抗炎、抗氧化和抗菌方面的应用，并深入分析精油与现代药物递送系统之间的内在关系，阐述如何通过特定的药物递送系统克服精油的局限性，以增强其生物活性和稳定性，实现缓释并降低其潜在毒性，同时探讨精油通过嗅觉途径对脑功能的积极影响，强调精油使用中可能存在的安全风险，并提出相应的使用建议。
使用“精油”“抗氧化剂”“抗酪氨酸酶”“抗菌作用”“抗炎”“抗焦虑”和 “药物载体递送系统” 等关键词，在PubMed、中国知网、百度和万方数据库中进行全面检索，以总结过去5年的文章。进一步筛选以选择通过局部或外用证明精油疗效的研究。
各种精油显示出其作为强氧化剂、抗菌剂、抗炎剂和皮肤美白剂的功效。与新的药物递送系统相结合，它不仅增强了精油的生物活性，还减少了精油的固有缺陷，如挥发性、刺激性和毒性，并具有靶向递送作用。同时，将精油融入护肤品中可以利用嗅觉和表皮系统的双重功能来滋养和修复皮肤，并最大限度地发挥精油的药理作用。
本综述深入探讨了精油及其递送系统的应用，倡导将天然植物资源与现代技术更广泛地整合。通过战略性地利用精油，我们可以促进全球经济的可持续发展。然而，仍需要进行广泛的临床试验来评估精油递送系统的有效性和安全性。
