Microencapsulation of essential oils: a review

Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of volatile compounds extracted from different parts of plants by different methods. There is a large diversity of these natural substances with varying properties that lead to their common use in several areas. The agrochemical, pharmaceutical, medical, foo...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sousa, Vânia Isabel (author)
Other Authors: Parente, Joana Filipa (author), Marques, Juliana Filipa (author), Forte, Marta Adriana (author), Tavares, C. J. (author)
Format: article
Language:eng
Published: 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1822/79838
Country:Portugal
Oai:oai:repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt:1822/79838
Description
Summary:Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of volatile compounds extracted from different parts of plants by different methods. There is a large diversity of these natural substances with varying properties that lead to their common use in several areas. The agrochemical, pharmaceutical, medical, food, and textile industry, as well as cosmetic and hygiene applications are some of the areas where EOs are widely included. To overcome the limitation of EOs being highly volatile and reactive, microencapsulation has become one of the preferred methods to retain and control these compounds. This review explores the techniques for extracting essential oils from aromatic plant matter. Microencapsulation strategies and the available technologies are also reviewed, along with an in-depth overview of the current research and application of microencapsulated EOs.