Optimized extraction and nanoencapsulation of artemisia essential oils: A comprehensive analysis of bioactives and structural characterization

Abstract

This study pertains to essential oil extraction from Artemisia absinthium L and a comparison of multiple extraction techniques. Ultrasound-assisted extraction emerged as the superior method, demonstrating remarkable extract recovery in contrast to microwave and hydrodistillation approaches. Bioactive compounds within the extracted Artemisia essential oils were meticulously identified through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS), shedding light on the chemical composition. Furthermore, we employed maltodextrin nanoparticles as a sophisticated nanocarrier for encapsulating the extracted oil. Our investigation encompassed various maltodextrin-to-artemisia extract ratios (1:10, 1:20, and 1:30), revealing encapsulation efficiencies of 75.21%, 78.23%, and 85.24%, respectively. Characterization of the nanoencapsulated powders through scanning electron microscopy unveiled their distinctive irregular morphology. X-ray diffraction (XRD), full width at half maximum for artemisia extract powder and nanoencapsulated powder were 0.12, 8.2, 8.70, and 8.89 and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), typical bands were 1348, 1625, 1596, 1614, 2920 cm−1. XRD and FTIR analyses furnished compelling evidence of successful encapsulation, presenting the artemisia extract in an amorphous state. Notably, the XRD patterns indicated a low degree of crystallinity, affirming the innovative nature of our approach. Significantly, the encapsulated powders retained the characteristic absorption bands of the artemisia extract, underscoring the preservation of its essential chemical properties throughout the encapsulation process.