Synergistic antimicrobial potential of essential oil nanoemulsion and ultrasound and application in food industry: A review

Essential oils such as those from clove or oregano are considered as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) food ingredients and natural sanitizers to control the growth of microorganisms. However, their utilization in food industry is seriously limited since their poor water solubility and toxicological effects at high doses. Generally, appropriate preparing method to make them into nanoemulsion as sanitizers has great potential to overcome these drawbacks. As a non-thermal technology, ultrasound is able to inactivate microorganisms. And the synergistic hurdle technology of ultrasound and essential oil nanoemulsion has acquired importance within the food industry because it is reasonably effective and environmentally-friendly. This paper reviews the preparation method and physicochemical properties of plant essential oil nanoemulsion and focuses on the research progress on the synergistic antimicrobial effect of nanoemulsion and ultrasound and their application in food industry, hoping to provide further research with detailed information and potential utilization of the technique.