¹Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Process Engineering Department, Faculty of Technology, University of Saad Dahlab- Blida 1, Soumaa, Blida, Algeria
²Laboratory of material recovery and recycling for sustainable development, FGMGP, USTHB, Bab ezzouar, Algiers, Algeria
³Laboratory of Natural Bio-Resources, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hassiba Benbouali University, Chlef, Algeria DOI : 10.29228/jrp.156 The aim of this work is to study for the first time the chemical composition of Salvia officinalis essential oil from Algerian region of Kabylia (Kalaa n'Ath Abas) and to evaluate its antifungal activity. The originality of this work consists in the development of a new nanosystem based on natural excipients (β-cyclodextrin, xanthan gum and arginine) to increase its antifungal activity. The yield of Salvia officinalis essential oil was 2.07%, it is mainly composed of α-Thujone (23.21%), 1,8-Cineole (14.17%) and Camphor (11.02%). Nanoemulsion based on β-cyxlodextrins has an average diameter of 219.1±5.2 nm, a zeta potential of 36.2±4.8 mV and a viscosity of 0.87±0.03 Pa.s. This essential oil showed a good antifungal activity against all tested strains (Candida albicans, Microsporum canis and Trichophyton equinum). Moreover, a significant increase of this activity was noted after essential oil nano-emulsification. The easy penetration of nanodroplets composing the prepared system through fungal cell wall and their high solubility in fungal cell cytoplasm permit to increase antifungal activity of studied essential oil. Keywords : Salvia officinalis, essential oil, chemical composition, antifungal activity, cyclodextrins, fungicidal effect enhancement