Fabrication of basil oil Nanoemulsion loaded gellan gum hydrogel—evaluation of its antibacterial and anti-biofilm potential

The pathogenic suppression of infectious agents is an ongoing strategy to tackle threats from microbial infections. In this regard, we developed and characterized a stable basil oil nanoemulsion-filled hydrogel that combats microbial pathogenicity and enhances the antimicrobial potential. Basil oil was extracted from Ocimum basilicum using the hydrodistillation extraction method. Furthermore, bioactive compounds of extracted basil oil were identified using GC-MS. Basil oil nanoemulsion (BNE) was developed using the ultrasonic emulsification method by incorporating basil oil, span 60, and water. Later, the formulated nanoemulsions were grafted with the gellan gum-based hydrogel matrix. The BNE was evaluated for globule size, zeta potential, FTIR analysis, and surface texture by SEM. A study was conducted to analyze antimicrobial sensitivity, the minimum inhibitory concentration, anti-biofilm potential, and membrane integrity for gram-positive, gram-negative bacterial and fungal strains. The BNE formed with minimum droplet dimensions of 49.2 nm with a zeta-potential of −33 mV showed much more kinetic stability. The developed basil oil nanoemulsion hydrogels (BNEHs) showed enhanced antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and staphylococcus aureus with their ability to impair the consistency of the cell membrane. In addition, the BNEH reported a 20% increase in antibiofilm activity than BNE. The findings demonstrate the possibility of using BNE and BNEH against different microbial pathogens such as potential anti microbial and anti biofilm agents. Further it could be tested for its topical delivery efficacy.