Kaspute Greta, Ivaskiene Tatjana, Mobasheri Ali, Viter Roman, Ramanavicius Arunas, Prentice Urte
Department of Nanotechnology, State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Av. 3, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania.
State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Santariskiu St. 5, 08410, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Planta. 2025 Aug 3;262(3):71. doi: 10.1007/s00425-025-04788-w.
Our findings provide new insights into how integrating advanced extraction methods with nanotechnology enhances essential oil stability, bioavailability, and safety, offering significant potential for sustainable pharmaceutical, therapeutic, and environmental applications Essential oils (EOs), volatile secondary metabolites extracted from plant parts such as leaves, seeds, and roots, are gaining prominence due to their broad therapeutic potential-including antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Conventional extraction techniques like steam distillation and cold pressing typically yield 0.1-2.0% EO depending on plant species, part used, and method applied. However, EOs suffer from physicochemical limitations such as volatility, oxidative instability, and low bioavailability, which restrict their direct application in pharmaceutical and consumer products. Recent advances in nanotechnology-particularly nanoemulsions, liposomes, and polymeric nanoparticles-have demonstrated the ability to enhance EO bioavailability by up to 40%, prolong release times, and improve chemical stability under environmental stress. These encapsulation systems also reduce cytotoxicity and degradation while facilitating targeted delivery. This review critically evaluates modern EO extraction strategies, including green and sustainable approaches, and discusses nanoencapsulation technologies that optimize EO functionality. The emphasis focuses on safety considerations, physicochemical enhancements, and the translational potential of integrating EO-nanotechnology in medical and environmental applications.
我们的研究结果为将先进提取方法与纳米技术相结合如何提高精油的稳定性、生物利用度和安全性提供了新的见解，这为可持续的制药、治疗和环境应用带来了巨大潜力。精油（EOs）是从植物的叶子、种子和根等部位提取的挥发性次生代谢产物，因其广泛的治疗潜力（包括抗真菌、抗菌、抗炎和抗氧化特性）而日益受到关注。根据植物种类、使用部位和应用方法的不同，传统的提取技术如蒸汽蒸馏和冷压通常只能提取出0.1%-2.0%的精油。然而，精油存在物理化学方面的局限性，如挥发性、氧化不稳定性和低生物利用度，这限制了它们在药品和消费品中的直接应用。纳米技术的最新进展，特别是纳米乳液、脂质体和聚合物纳米颗粒，已证明能够将精油的生物利用度提高多达40%，延长释放时间，并在环境压力下提高化学稳定性。这些包封系统还能降低细胞毒性和降解，同时促进靶向递送。本综述对现代精油提取策略进行了批判性评估，包括绿色和可持续方法，并讨论了优化精油功能的纳米包封技术。重点关注安全考量、物理化学性质的改善以及将精油-纳米技术整合到医学和环境应用中的转化潜力。
