Plants are a rich source of bioactive compounds with diverse applications in medicine, agriculture, cosmetics, food, and other industries. Inspired by this versatility, we developed nanoemulsions (NEs) incorporating plant-derived ingredients known for antimicrobial and anticancer properties. The formulations combined mineral oil, water, Tween 20, citric acid monohydrate, and sodium bicarbonate, with Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil and limonene enantiomers (R- and S-limonene) as active agents. Four NEs were prepared with essential oil (EO) concentrations of 3%, 6%, 12%, and 15%. Characterization revealed stable vesicles with negative zeta potential below -30 mV and monodispersity, particularly in the 12% EO sample, which had an average diameter of 92.3 ± 5.3 nm. Rheological analysis confirmed stability under varying conditions. Biological testing showed that NEs containing 12% R. officinalis and limonenes exhibited anticancer and microbicidal activity, with notable chiral discrimination. S-limonene proved significantly more effective, eliminating 80% of melanoma A375 cells at a concentration ten times lower than R-limonene or R. officinalis NEs, and producing inhibition zones against Staphylococcus aureus twice as large as those of R-limonene. Agar diffusion assays against E. coli, E. faecalis, and C. albicans confirmed bactericidal activity of both enantiomers, with S-limonene consistently outperforming R-limonene. These findings highlight the potential of tailoring NE compositions to enhance efficacy and specificity, demonstrating that plant-based nanoemulsions can be engineered for targeted biomedical and antimicrobial applications while exploiting chiral differences in activity.
Comissão Organizadora
Pedro Alves da Silva Autreto
Comissão Científica
Ferramenta completa de submissão, avaliação e publicação de anais para eventos científicos.
