Nanoemulsions: The rising star of antiviral therapeutics and nanodelivery system-current status and prospects Natarajan Chandrasekaran

Nanoemulsions (NEs) of essential oil (EO) have significant potential to target microorganisms, especially viruses. They act as a vehicle for delivering antiviral drugs and vaccines. Narrowing of drug discovery pipeline and the emergence of new viral diseases, especially, coronavirus disease, have created a niche to use NEs for augmenting currently available therapeutic options. Published literature demonstrated that EOs have an inherent broad spectrum of activity across bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens. The emulsification process significantly improved the efficacy of the active ingredients in the EOs. This article highlights the research findings and patent developments in the last 2 years especially, in EO antiviral activity, antiviral drug delivery, vaccine delivery, viral resistance development, and repurposing EO compounds against SARS-CoV-2.

Automated summary

Nanoemulsions of essential oil have potential in targeting microorganisms, particularly viruses, and can be used to enhance current therapeutic options. Research has shown that essential oils have broad-spectrum activity, and the emulsification process can improve their efficacy.