Nanoencapsulation of Zataria multiflora essential oil preparation and characterization with enhanced antifungal activity for controlling Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of gray mould disease
The present study was set to encapsulate hydrophobic Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZEO) in chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) using ionic gelation technique in order to enhance antifungal activity and stability of the oils against B. cinerea.
The application of plant essential oil treatment at pre- or postharvest stage has been considered as an alternative treatment to the use of synthetic fungicides to prevent fruit postharvest decay and to extend the storage life while retaining the overall quality of different fresh commodities.
Although EOs have proved to be good antimicrobial agents, their use for maintaining fruit quality and reducing fungal decay is often limited due to their volatile compounds which can easily suffer degradation under the action of heat, pressure, light and oxygen.
Nano-/micro-encapsulation technology of these compounds can be a practical and efficient approach to solve some of these problems such as the physical instability and enhance their bioactivity, while at the same time, controlling fruit postharvest decay, by lowering the diffusion processes and maintaining high concentrations of active molecules on the surface of the fruit.
WHAT YOU CAN LEARN
CSNPs, a prospective carrier for sustained release of ZEO, were prepared by a modified ionotropic gelation method and characterized by UV-vis spectrophotometry, DLS and TEM.
The release of ZEO from CSNPs in buffer solutions with pH of 3, 5 and 7 followed a Fickian behavior.
The superior performance of ZEO when encapsulated by CSNPs under both in vitro and in vivo conditions in comparison with free oils was revealed.
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