Preparation and characterization of ultrasound-mediated Ocimum basilicum L. essential oil nanoemulsion and its application in meat preservation

In this study, a stable basil oil nanoemulsion was prepared by emulsifier-assisted ultrasonication. The optimized formulation exhibited excellent physical stability under ambient, refrigerated (4 °C), and heated (55 °C) conditions. It demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, inducing membrane disruption and oxidative stress, as evidenced by elevated ROS and MDA levels. The nanoemulsion also showed significant antioxidant capacity, scavenging 95 % of DPPH and 86 % of ABTS radicals and achieving a FRAP value of 14.6 µmol/g at 200 µg/mL. Cytotoxicity analysis confirmed high biocompatibility, with cell viability exceeding 83 % in L02 and BEAS-2B cells at 16 mg/mL. When applied to beef packaging, the nanoemulsion effectively maintained pH, reduced microbial counts, and suppressed TVB-N accumulation, thereby prolonging meat freshness. These findings highlight its potential as a multifunctional preservative for food and biomedical applications.