The Development of Sweet Basil Essential Oils Nanoemulsion for Scototaxis Behaviors in Zebrafish

Sweet basil is an herb known for its essential oils, widely used in the food and fragrance industries. This essential oil contains a compound with calming properties; however, only a few preclinical studies show the anxiolytic effect of sweet basil essential oil. This study aimed to test the anxiety-related effect of sweet basil essential oil in zebrafish and develop nanoemulsion to enhance its therapeutic effects. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identifies the anxiolytic compounds of sweet basil essential oil including estragole (100%) and linalool (25.52%). A nanoemulsion of sweet basil oil was developed and measured physical properties by zetasizer. We found that nanoemulsion had particles size of 52.96±14.69 nm and a dispersion value of 0.25±0.01. The scototaxis behavior test of zebrafish was performed, and the anxiety-related compounds (ethanol and fluoxetine) were compared with sweet basil essential oil and nanoemulsion. The anxiolytic effects of sweet basil essential oil and its nanoemulsion were found in zebrafish. These findings indicate that sweet basil essential oil, particularly as a nanoemulsion, has potential as an alternative treatment for anxiety-related behavior.