Microencapsulation is a process of building a functional barrier between the core and wall material to avoid chemical and physical reactions and to maintain the biological, functional, and physicochemical properties of core materials. Microencapsulation of marine, vegetable, and essential oils has been conducted and commercialized by employing different methods including emulsification, spray-drying, coaxial electrospray system, freeze-drying, coacervation, in situ polymerization, melt-extrusion, supercritical fluid technology, and fluidized-bed-coating. Spray-drying and coacervation are the most commonly used techniques for the microencapsulation of oils. The choice of an appropriate microencapsulation technique and wall material depends upon the end use of the product and the processing conditions involved. Microencapsulation has the ability to enhance the oxidative stability, thermostability, shelf-life, and biological activity of oils. In addition, it can also be helpful in controlling the volatility and release properties of essential oils. Microencapsulated marine, vegetable, and essential oils have found broad applications in various fields. This review describes the recognized benefits and functional properties of various oils, microencapsulation techniques, and application of encapsulated oils in various food, pharmaceutical, and even textile products. Moreover, this review may provide information to researchers working in the field of food, pharmacy, agronomy, engineering, and nutrition who are interested in microencapsulation of oils.

Microencapsulation of Oils: A Comprehensive Review of Benefits, Techniques, and Applications

Nowadays, the consumers around the world are increasingly focused on health and beauty. The renewed consumer interest in natural cosmetic products creates the demand for new products and reformulated others with botanical and functional ingredients. In cosmetic products, essential oils (EOs) play a major role as fragrance ingredients. They can optimize its proprieties and preservation, as well as the marketing image of the final product. Microencapsulation of EOs can protect and prevent the loss of volatile aromatic ingredients and improve the controlled release and stability of this core materials. The importance of EOs for cosmetic industry and its microencapsulation was reviewed in this study. Also a briefly introduction about the preparation of microparticles was presented. Some of the most important and usual microencapsulation techniques of EOs, as well as the conventional encapsulating agents, were discussed. Despite the fact that microencapsulation of EOs is a very promising and extremely attractive application area for cosmetic industry, further basic research needs to be carried out, for a better understanding of the biofunctional activities of microencapsulated EOs and its release modulation, as well as the effects of others cosmetic ingredients and the storage time in the microparticles properties.

https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/bitstream/10216/102967/3/102174.1.pdf

Application of microencapsulated essential oils in cosmetic and personal healthcare products – a review

Current encapsulation strategies for bioactive oils: From alimentary to pharmaceutical perspectives

Bioactive compounds are extracted from natural sources and they have beneficial effects on human health. Fruits and vegetables are rich in carotenoids, phenolic compounds, Vitamin C, among others. Extraction processes for these compounds depend on several factors such as the technique that is used, the raw material, and the organic solvent. Conventional techniques generally require large amounts of organic solvents, high energy expenditure, and are time consuming, which has generated interest in new technologies that are referred to as clean or green technologies. These can reduce or eliminate the use of toxic solvents, and thus preserve the natural environment and its resources. The aim of this review is to discuss recent techniques used to extract bioactive compounds from natural sources, in order to reduce the economic and ecological impact of these processes.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19476337.2017.1411978

Green technologies for the extraction of bioactive compounds in fruits and vegetables

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Espécies Nativas da Flora Brasileira de Valor Econômico Atual ou Potencial

Functional foods include any natural product that presents health-promoting effects, thereby reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Cerrado fruits are considered a source of bioactive substances, mainly phenolic compounds, making them important functional foods. Despite this, the losses of natural vegetation in the Cerrado are progressive. Hence, the knowledge propagation about the importance of the species found in Cerrado could contribute to the preservation of this biome. This review provides information about Cerrado fruits and highlights the structures and pharmacologic potential of functional compounds found in these fruits. Compounds detected in Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (pequi), Dipteryx alata Vog. (baru), Eugenia dysenterica DC. (cagaita), Eugenia uniflora L. (pitanga), Genipa americana L. (jenipapo), Hancornia speciosa Gomes (mangaba), Mauritia flexuosa L.f. (buriti), Myrciaria cauliflora (DC) Berg (jabuticaba), Psidium guajava L. (goiaba), Psidium spp. (araca), Solanum lycocarpum St. Hill (lobeira), Spondias mombin L. (caja), Annona crassiflora Mart. (araticum), among others are reported here.

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/16/10/23760/pdf

Bioactive Compounds Found in Brazilian Cerrado Fruits.

Active compounds and medicinal properties of Myrciaria genus

The present investigation reports the microencapsulation of the essential oil from the fruits of Pterodon emarginatus by spray drying using gum arabic and maltodextrin. X-ray diffraction studies established that the essential oil was entrapped within the microcapsules rather than being adsorbed onto the surface. The morphology of the microcapsules was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particle size (Sauter [3,2]) and particle size distribution of microcapsules were also determined. The microcapsules were evaluated for the content and stability of both volatiles and the major component, β-caryophyllene, for 45 days. A 1:3:3.6 blend of essential oil: gum arabic: maltodextrin offered the best protection, with 98.63% of the essential oil being retained and the same proportion of β-caryophyllene being entrapped. The obtained results showed that the microcapsules might have potential applications in the protection of essential oil from fruits of P. emarginatus and contribute to the development...

Microencapsulation of Essential Oil from Fruits of Pterodon emarginatus Using Gum Arabic and Maltodextrin as Wall Materials: Composition and Stability

Myrcia tomentosa (Aubl.) DC., Myrtaceae, found in Central Brazilian Cerrado and popularly known as "goiaba-brava", belongs to the Myrcia genus, which has several species with medicinal properties such as: hypoglycemic, diuretic, hypotensive, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial and antitumor. The present study aimed to analyzed the environmental influence on concentrations of phenolic metabolites in M. tomentosa leaves. Compounds assayed in the leaves were: total phenols, tannins by protein precipitation, hydrolysable tannins and total flavonoids and mineral nutrients, while soil fertility was also analyzed, all over during one year. The results were submitted to Pearson Correlation Analysis and stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis to investigate the relationship between phenolics and environment data. Analysis of variance and Cluster Analysis allowed indicated a high variability in samples from different sites. The results obtained suggests that content of phenolics from M. tomentosa leaves are influenced by environmental factors, particularly some foliar nutrients (N1, Ca1 and Mn1), soil nutrients (Cas and Ks) and Rainfall.

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Environmental factors affecting the concentration of phenolic compounds in Myrcia tomentosa leaves

As plantas medicinais sao utilizadas pelo homem desde o inicio da historia e atualmente empregadas como recursos na medicina alternativa por grande parte da populacao mundial.  Esse uso deve-se a facilidade de acesso as plantas em relacao aos medicamentos alopaticos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi, primariamente, desenvolver uma analise cienciometrica sobre as tendencias dos estudos com plantas medicinais no Brasil, investigando se o numero de trabalhos cresceu ao longo dos anos. Alem disso, foi identificamos as principais plantas que sao estudadas pelo seu principio medicinal no Brasil. Para a pesquisa foi empregada a base de dados Scielo , com artigos de 1995 a 2011, utilizando a palavra “Planta Medicinal” como palavra-chave. Foram avaliados 329 artigos, mas somente 265 foram compativeis a pesquisa. Artigos que nao foram desenvolvidos no Brasil; que nao utilizaram o termo planta medicinal; ou nao citaram plantas foram excluidos das analises. Em cada artigo selecionado foram coletadas as seguintes informacoes: titulo do artigo, quantidade de autores, instituicoes responsaveis pelo estudo, local das instituicoes, ano de publicacao, tipo de estudo (ex.: farmacologico, agropecuario e ecologico) e as plantas que foram estudadas. Por meio de analises desses dados foi possivel verificar as tendencias dos estudos com plantas medicinais no Brasil. Conforme esperado, a maior parte dos artigos avaliados estao voltados para a Farmacologia, com aplicacao em diversas areas da saude e em segundo lugar a Agropecuaria, devido ao interesse em desenvolver produtos a partir de plantas para o controle de pragas. Entretanto, verificou-se o emprego em outras areas, como a Bioquimica, Botânica, Ecologia, Genetica/Molecular e Educacao que apesar de serem menos frequentes, sao essenciais, pois os estudos com plantas medicinais requerem profissionais de multiplas areas. Alem da investigacao da medicina popular e necessarios considerar aspectos como o isolamento, purificacao, caracterizacao dos principios ativos, investigacao farmacologica de extratos, constituintes quimicos e transformacoes quimicas. Dentre as plantas que tiveram maior destaque nos estudos esta a Hortela ( Mentha piperita L), muito utilizada pela populacao devido a suas acoes: vermifuga, antibacteriana e anti-inflamatoria.

Leonardo Luiz Borges

Papers

Bioactive Compounds Found in Brazilian Cerrado Fruits.

Active compounds and medicinal properties of Myrciaria genus

Microencapsulation of Essential Oil from Fruits of Pterodon emarginatus Using Gum Arabic and Maltodextrin as Wall Materials: Composition and Stability

Environmental factors affecting the concentration of phenolic compounds in Myrcia tomentosa leaves

Tendências dos estudos com plantas medicinais no brasil