Hydrogels with Essential Oils: Recent Advances in Designs and Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Hydrogels are versatile polymeric networks capable of absorbing large amounts of water.
• Essential oils are natural compounds with diverse biological activities.
• Combining essential oils with hydrogels creates advanced materials with enhanced functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of hydrogels incorporating essential oils.
• To discuss their applications in various fields, including biomedicine, food, and cultural heritage.
• To analyze recent innovations, challenges, and future prospects.

Main Methods:

• Review of polymeric sources, hydrogel preparation, and cross-linking techniques.
• Exploration of essential oil extraction, encapsulation, and characterization.
• Analysis of hydrogel-essential oil composite properties and applications.

Main Results:

• Hydrogels with essential oils exhibit biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, and controlled release.
• Applications span biomedicine, dentistry, cosmetics, food, food packaging, and cultural heritage.
• Key characteristics include optimal porosity, cytocompatibility, and sustained release of active compounds.

Conclusions:

• Hydrogel-essential oil composites represent a promising area for next-generation materials.
• Further research is needed to overcome limitations like volatility and stability.
• Potential for innovation exists across diverse scientific and industrial sectors.