Chapter 6 - Liposome for encapsulation of essential oil and fatty acids

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) and fatty acids are naturally occurring organic compounds which have many interesting applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. The encapsulation of EOs and fatty acids into liposomes leads to protection from oxidative degradation and controlled release into the human body. EOs are mixtures of various volatile organic molecules, which include phenol-derived aromatic components, terpenoids which have gained significant attention in the cosmetic, food, agricultural, sanitary, and pharmaceutical industries. EOs are extensively consumed for fungicidal, insecticidal, bactericidal, and antiinflammatory applications. Encapsulation of EOs and fatty acids is essential for improving the oxidative and thermal stability, bioavailability, and efficacy of EOs and fatty acid-based formulations, and also their water solubility, while decreasing volatility because liposomes are considered an essential promising carrier for various biologically active compounds, including EOs, vitamins, fatty acids, minerals, etc. In addition, liposomes have several applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries because of their distinctive biological properties. Owing to their suitable biological activities, essential oils and fatty acids are significant in both basic and applied sciences. However, EOs and fatty acids are not stable in the presence of temperature, light, or oxygen. Therefore, efforts have been carried out to protect them from degradation by various encapsulation techniques such as emulsion, suspension, liposomes, spray drying, etc. This chapter emphasizes the encapsulation of EOs and fatty acids into liposomes. It discloses the methods of preparing liposome encapsulation of essential oils and fatty acids, encapsulation efficiency, the composition of bilayer phospholipid membrane, and applications of liposomes incorporating EOs and fatty acids.