Encapsulation of Rosa damascena Mill. Essential Oil in Nanoliposomes

Rosa damascena Mill. Essential Oil (EO) was encapsulated in nanoliposomes to overcome its low stability and limited solubility. Preparation of EO-Loaded Nanoliposomes (EO-LNLs) was optimized based on the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a Central Composite Face-centred (CCF) design. Different concentrations of EO (500, 1,000, and 1,500 ppm) and lecithin (0.5, 1.25, and 2% w/v) were applied for preparing nanoliposomes. The produced nanoliposomes had a particle size of 82-124 nm, a zeta potential of -55 to -30 mV, and a Polydispersity Index (PDI) of 0.270- 0.342. The nanoliposomes prepared with 1.56% lecithin and 500 ppm of EO had the best properties with the encapsulation efficiency of 84.02 +/- 2.23%. The results obtained from different instrumental methods (DSC, FT-IR, and TEM) verified the encapsulation of EO in nanoliposomes. According to the antioxidant activity evaluations, free EO had higher radical scavenging activity and lower EC50 than encapsulated EO. The highest in vitro release of EO from nanoliposomes occurred at pH= 3. During the storage of nanoliposomes for seven weeks at 4 degrees C, their particle size was increased by 7.0%. Finally, Rosa damascena Mill. EO was successfully encapsulated in nanoliposomes and, therefore, its use as a natural preservative in different products such as foodstuffs, medicines, and cosmetics can be suggested.