PREPARATION OF ESSENTIAL OIL NANOEMULSION WITH CELLULOSE DERIVATIVES

Abstract

The pomelo (Citrus maxima) peel’s essential oil (EO) with many potential applications was proposed to be encapsulated via simple emulsification. The small particle size and homogenous distribution were mainly aimed at improving stability and aqueous dispersion. The low-energy method of magnetic stirring was applied. Although the emulsion could be fabricated successfully with only polysorbate, long-term stability could not be achieved. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were used as stabilizers. The particle size was significantly reduced with the addition of cellulose derivatives. The samples using CMC and Tween 60/80 or HPC and Tween 80 could maintain the average particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) even after 30 days. Based on dynamic light scattering measurements, the majority of particles were in the region of less than 40 nm and a Z-average of 126 nm could be obtained. Although the PDI values were still high (> 2), the average size of approximately 100 nm was still detected after one month of storage. The results are comparable to the previous studies, and the proposed process might open a simple approach to achieving a nanoemulsion state without using high-energy dispersion methods.