Hamdy Shaaban

By Hamdy A. Shaaban

The use of natural antimicrobial compounds in food has gained much attention by the consumers and the food industry. This is primarily due to two major factors. First, the misuse and mishandling of antibiotics has resulted in the dramatic rise of a group of microorganisms including foodborne pathogens that are not only antibiotic resistant but also more tolerant to several food processing and preservation methods. In addition, increasing consumers’ awareness of the potential negative impact of synthetic preservatives on health versus the benefits of natural additives has generated interest among researchers in the development and use of natural products in foods. Essential oils are volatile, natural, complex compounds characterized by a strong odor and are formed by aromatic plants as secondary metabolites. The bioactivity properties of essential oils are generally determined by the major compounds present in them. They have been widely used for bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, antiparasitical, insecticidal, medicinal, and antioxidant applications. The biological activity of the oils can be compared with the activity of synthetically produced pharmacological preparations. Thus, essential oils are promising natural extracts that need further evaluation for possible application as supplement, preservatives, or antioxidants in food or pharmaceutical industries.

Part of the book: Essential Oils

By Hamdy A. Shaaban and Amr Farouk

Due to the modern lifestyle and consumers’ interests, demands toward healthy foods and nutraceuticals were increased, among them essential oils (EOs) characterized by different biological activities. However, the use of EOs in foods and pharmaceuticals may be limited due to the hydrophobicity nature in addition to the instability and cause of degradation upon exposure to environmental conditions, e.g., oxygen, temperature, and light. Therefore, encapsulation in various colloidal systems such as microcapsules, nanospheres, nanoemulsions, liposomes, and molecular inclusion complexes, seem to be the solution for such issues. New trends in food packaging have also been focused on exploiting capsulated bioactive EOs constituents for extending foods’ shelf life due to their potent antimicrobial agents and the great activity against pathological bacteria. Micro and nanoencapsulation of EOs may affect their biological activities based on the technique used. In the current chapter, different subjects have been discussed, like techniques used for the encapsulation of EOs, potential applications in food, and their behaviors/trends after encapsulation.

Part of the book: Essential Oils