Preparation, characterization and antimicrobial activity of inclusion complexes of Myristica fragrans Hott. essential oil in β-cyclodextrins

Inclusion complexes of essential oils with cyclodextrins are an effective way to improve stability and solubility, and turn liquid materials into easy to handle powders. In this work, an essential oil of Myristica fragrans Hott. (MFEO), already used in the food and cosmetics industries, was formulated with beta-cyclodextrins (β-CD) using a co-precipitation method. The orthogonal array scheme was adapted for the optimization of preparation process. DSC and FT-IR spectroscopy analysis indicated the successful formation of MFEO/β-CD inclusion complexes, which improved the thermal stability of MFEO. Furthermore, comparing the antimicrobial activity of MFEO/β-CD inclusion complexes and free essential oil against Staphyloccocus aureus, Staphyloccocus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Bacillus subtilis, it was found that the antimicrobial effect was enhanced after the formation of inclusion complexes. This study demonstrates the potential for the use of MFEO/β-CD inclusion complexes in the treatment of bacterial infection.