Biological evaluation of nanoemulsion and selenium-containing nanoparticles utilizing ginger oil as antimicrobial and antioxidant activity

A sustainable green synthesis technique was employed to synthesize selenium-based nanoparticles (SeNPs) and a nanoemulsion (NE) from ginger oil (Gr). The nanoparticles were analyzed by DLS, UV-visible, and TEM techniques. The “emulsion inversion point” (EIP) method, a cornerstone of low-energy nanoemulsion (NE) production at constant temperature, was utilized. The liquid phases and surfactant choice determined whether a different mixing sequence was preferable. Using an oil-in-water (O/W) system, ginger oil was transformed into ginger nanoemulsion (Gr-NE). Gr-NE consists of dispersed immiscible phases containing kinetically stable droplets of a liquid phase, with sizes ranging from 36.6 to 51.1 nm. This technique resulted in a high surface area, excellent optical clarity, outstanding stability, and tunable rheology. An environmentally friendly method of synthesizing selenium-based nanoparticles (SeNPs@Gr) with particle sizes ranging from 64.2 to 90.6 nm was developed by utilizing ginger oil. Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of all the components, as well as SeNPs@Gr, were evaluated. By synthesizing Gr-NE and SeNPs@Gr with minimal environmental impact and using renewable resources, this work achieved alignment with principles of the circular bioeconomy. In particular, the work contributes to Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Improving People’s Health) and 12 (Encouraging Responsible Production and Consumption).