Chitosan nanocarriers containing essential oils as a green strategy to improve the functional properties of chitosan: A review

Yang Y 1 , Aghbashlo M 2 , Gupta VK 3 , Amiri H 4 , Pan J 5 , Tabatabaei M 6 Show all authors , Rajaei A 7

Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, PR China
  • 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering of Agricultural Machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
  • 3 Centre for Safe and Improved Food, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK; Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Center, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Kings Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
  • 4 Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441, Iran; Environmental Research Institute, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73441, Iran
  • 5 Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, PR China. Electronic address: panjunting@caas.cn
  • 6 Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Department of Biomaterials, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 600 077, India. Electronic address: meisam.tabatabaei@umt.edu.my
  • 7 Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran. Electronic address: ahmadrajaee@shahroodut.ac.ir
Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 May 01;236:123954.
PMID: 36898453 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123954

Abstract

Large amounts of agricultural waste, especially marine product waste, are produced annually. These wastes can be used to produce compounds with high-added value. Chitosan is one such valuable product that can be obtained from crustacean wastes. Various biological activities of chitosan and its derivatives, especially antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, have been confirmed by many studies. The unique characteristics of chitosan, especially chitosan nanocarriers, have led to the expansion of using chitosan in various sectors, especially in biomedical sciences and food industries. On the other hand, essential oils, known as volatile and aromatic compounds of plants, have attracted the attention of researchers in recent years. Like chitosan, essential oils have various biological activities, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer. In recent years, one of the ways to improve the biological properties of chitosan is to use essential oils encapsulated in chitosan nanocarriers. Among the various biological activities of chitosan nanocarriers containing essential oils, most studies conducted in recent years have been in the field of antimicrobial activity. It was documented that the antimicrobial activity was increased by reducing the size of chitosan particles in the nanoscale. In addition, the antimicrobial activity was intensified when essential oils were in the structure of chitosan nanoparticles. Essential oils can increase the antimicrobial activity of chitosan nanoparticles with synergistic effects. Using essential oils in the structure of chitosan nanocarriers can also improve the other biological properties (antioxidant and anticancer activities) of chitosan and increase the application fields of chitosan. Of course, using essential oils in chitosan nanocarriers for commercial use requires more studies, including stability during storage and effectiveness in real environments. This review aims to overview recent studies on the biological effects of essential oils encapsulated in chitosan nanocarriers, with notes on their biological mechanisms.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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