Title:Current Progress and Emerging Role of Essential Oils in Drug Delivery Therapeutics
Volume: 22
Issue: 3
Author(s): Rokeya Sultana, Sourav Mohanto, Adrija Bhunia, Aritra Biswas, Mohammad Shabib Akhtar, Vijay Mishra, Dimple Modi, Alaa AA Aljabali, Murtaza Tambuwala*Md. Faiyazuddin*
Affiliation:
- Lincoln
Medical School - Universities of Nottingham and Lincoln, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6
7TS, Lincolnshire, UK
- School of Pharmacy, Al-Karim University, Katihar 854106, Bihar, India
Keywords:
Essential oil, extraction, drug delivery system, inflammation, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer.
Abstract: The utilization of novel drug delivery systems loaded with essential oils has gained significant
attention as a promising approach for biomedical applications in recent years. Plants possess
essential oils that exhibit various medicinal properties, i.e., anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-
inflammatory, anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, etc., due to the presence of various phytoconstituents,
including terpenes, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and esters. An understanding
of conventional and advanced extraction techniques of Essential Oils (EOs) from several plant
sources is further required before considering or loading EOs into drug delivery systems. Therefore,
this article summarizes the various extraction techniques of EOs and their existing limitations.
The in-built biological applications of EOs are of prerequisite importance for treating several
diseases. Thus, the mechanisms of action of EOs for anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial
activities, etc., have been further explored in this article. The encapsulation of essential oils in
micro or nanometric systems is an intriguing technique to render adequate stability to the thermosensitive
compounds and shield them against environmental factors that might cause chemical
degradation. Thus, the article further summarizes the advanced drug delivery approaches loaded
with EOs and current challenges in the future outlook of EOs for biomedical applications.
