Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils and Nanoemulsions of Chrysopogon zizanioides and Schinus terebinthifolius Cultivated in Brazil

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of Chrysopogon zizanioides (vetiver) and Schinus terebinthifolius (aroeira) essential oils (EO) and their nanoemulsions, along with chemical characterization of the EO. The major compounds in C. zizanioides EO were the sesquiterpenes vetivenic acid (22.95%), α‐vetivone (7.50%), khusimol (7.42%), and β‐vetivone (5.63%), while S. terebinthifolius EO was rich in the monoterpenes α‐phellandrene (35.96%), α‐pinene (15.41%), limonene (14.39%), and δ‐3‐carene (10.70%). Nanoemulsion droplet sizes were 304.7 nm for vetiver and 105.7 nm for aroeira, with PDI values of 0.32 and 0.20, and zeta potentials of −0.82 and 0.33 mV, respectively. Vetiver nanoemulsion enhanced antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Salmonella enterica , while aroeira nanoemulsion increased activity against B. cereus , K. pneumoniae , and Escherichia coli . These findings demonstrate that nanoemulsification is an effective strategy to potentiate the antimicrobial properties of vetiver and aroeira EO, improving their efficacy against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria.