Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

An Antimicrobial Fabric Using Nano-Herbal Encapsulation of Essential Oils
07:47

An Antimicrobial Fabric Using Nano-Herbal Encapsulation of Essential Oils

Published on: April 7, 2023

Phytochemical-Loaded Biodegradable Nanoemulsions for Eradication of Fungal Biofilms

Muhammad Aamir Hassan1, Harini Chandrababu1, Jungmi Park1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Biodegradable nanoemulsions loaded with carvacrol (C-BNE) show potent activity against drug-resistant fungal biofilms. This essential oil nanoemulsion effectively penetrates and eliminates Candida species, offering a promising solution for challenging infections.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Antimicrobial Research
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Fungal infections, particularly those involving biofilms, pose a significant and growing health challenge.
  • Candida species are primary causative agents of biofilm-related infections on wounds and medical devices.
  • Existing treatments often struggle against these resilient biofilms, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate biodegradable nanoemulsions (BNEs) loaded with essential oil components for combating biofilm-associated fungal infections.
  • To assess the antibiofilm efficacy of carvacrol (C-BNE), geraniol (G-BNE), and eugenol (E-BNE) against various Candida species.
  • To investigate the mechanism of action of the most effective nanoemulsion against fungal biofilms.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of biodegradable nanoemulsions (BNEs) encapsulating carvacrol, geraniol, and eugenol within a biodegradable polymeric scaffold.
  • Assessment of the antibiofilm efficacy of C-BNE, G-BNE, and E-BNE against 2-day-old biofilms of multiple Candida species.
  • Utilizing confocal microscopy to visualize C-BNE penetration into biofilms and its effect on fungal cell integrity.

Main Results:

  • Carvacrol-loaded BNEs (C-BNE) demonstrated superior efficacy against all tested fungal biofilms compared to G-BNE and E-BNE.
  • Confocal microscopy confirmed that C-BNE effectively penetrated the fungal biofilm structure.
  • C-BNE was observed to kill fungal cells by disrupting their cell membrane integrity.

Conclusions:

  • Essential oil-loaded nanoemulsions, particularly C-BNE, show significant potential as an effective treatment against drug-resistant biofilm-associated fungal infections.
  • The ability of C-BNE to penetrate biofilms and compromise fungal cell membranes highlights its therapeutic promise.
  • This study provides a foundation for developing advanced nano-based therapies to address challenging fungal infections.
Keywords:
Candida albicansCandida duobushaemuloniiCandida kruseiessential oilfungal infectionnanoemulsion

More Related Videos

A Platform of Anti-biofilm Assays Suited to the Exploration of Natural Compound Libraries09:39

A Platform of Anti-biofilm Assays Suited to the Exploration of Natural Compound Libraries

Published on: December 27, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Biofilms01:29

Biofilms

Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular polysaccharide matrix attached to surfaces. These microbial consortia can include single or multiple species, providing enhanced survival benefits by forming organized, multilayered structures.The formation of biofilms occurs through four key stages: attachment, colonization, development, and dispersal.During attachment, free-swimming planktonic cells adhere to a surface, often facilitated by...
Biological Methods for Microbial Control01:28

Biological Methods for Microbial Control

Biological agents offer an effective means of controlling microbial growth by leveraging natural processes like predation, competition, and the secretion of antimicrobial substances.Predatory bacteria such as Bdellovibrio species target and kill pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli. They are widely used in poultry farms to control infections. Myxococcus species help combat plant-pathogenic fungi. These naturally occurring predators serve as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides and...
Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Microbial Corrosion01:24

Microbial Corrosion

Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) is a significant form of material degradation caused by the metabolic activities of microorganisms. This phenomenon poses substantial challenges across various industries, including oil and gas, maritime, and water treatment sectors.MIC occurs when microorganisms, such as bacteria, archaea, and fungi, colonize metal surfaces, forming biofilms that alter the local electrochemical environment. These biofilms can lead to the production of corrosive...
Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides01:28

Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides

Pesticides often feature structurally complex chemical architectures, incorporating halogen groups and multiple aromatic rings. These characteristics confer high chemical stability, rendering many pesticides resistant to natural degradation processes. This resistance poses significant environmental concerns, as persistent pesticide residues can accumulate in ecosystems and affect non-target organisms.Despite the inherent stability of many pesticides, certain microorganisms possess the metabolic...
Biodeterioration01:28

Biodeterioration

Biodeterioration refers to the unwanted alteration of materials caused by microorganisms—especially fungi—which damage both organic substrates (paper, wood, textiles) and inorganic ones (stone, plaster, glass). Unlike abiotic decay, biodeterioration results from biological activity that produces physical disruption and chemical degradation.Physical deterioration occurs as fungal hyphae penetrate pores, cracks, and surface irregularities. Hyphal turgor pressure, thigmotropic growth along...