Caraway Nanoemulsion Gel: A Potential Antibacterial Treatment against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus .

Novel antibiotics are needed due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Traditional antibiotics are ineffective due to antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, and finding alternative therapies is expensive. Hence, plant-derived caraway (Carum carvi) essential oils and antibacterial compounds have been selected as alternatives. In this, caraway essential oil as an antibacterial treatment was investigated using a nanoemulsion gel. Using the emulsification technique, a nanoemulsion gel was developed and characterized in terms of particle size, polydispersity index, pH, and viscosity. The results showed that the nanoemulsion had a mean particle size of 137 nm and an encapsulation efficiency of 92%. Afterward, the nanoemulsion gel was incorporated into the carbopol gel and was found to be transparent and uniform. The gel had in vitro cell viability and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ). The gel safely delivered a transdermal drug with a cell survival rate of over 90%. With a minimal inhibitor concentration (MIC) of 0.78 mg/mL and 0.78 mg/mL, respectively, the gel demonstrated substantial inhibition for E. coli and S. aureus . Lastly, the study demonstrated that caraway essential oil nanoemulsion gels can be efficient in treating E. coli and S. aureus , laying the groundwork for the use of caraway essential oil as an alternative to synthetic antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial infections.