The essential oil of citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) has several biological activities, among them the insect repellent action. Some studies showed that cinnamic acid esters can be applied as natural pesticides, insecticides and fungicides. In this context, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the production of esters from citronella essential oil with cinnamic acid via enzymatic esterification. Besides, the essential oil toxicity before and after esterification against Artemia salina and larvicidal action on Aedes aegypti was investigated. Esters were produced using cinnamic acid as the acylating agent and citronella essential oil (3:1) in heptane and 15 wt% NS 88011 enzyme as biocatalysts, at 70 °C and 150 rpm. Conversion rates of citronellyl and geranyl cinnamates were 58.7 and 69.0% for NS 88011, respectively. For the toxicity to Artemia salina LC50 results of 5.29 μg mL-1 were obtained for the essential oil and 4.36 μg mL-1 for the esterified oils obtained with NS 88011. In the insecticidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae, was obtained LC50 of 111.84 μg mL-1 for the essential oil of citronella and 86.30 μg mL-1 for the esterified oils obtained with the enzyme NS 88011, indicating high toxicity of the esters. The results demonstrated that the evaluated samples present potential of application as bioinsecticide.

The growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly cosmetic products has driven innovations using plant residues as raw materials for high-value-added applications. This study focuses on the enzymatic hydrolysis of plant residues to extract bioactive compounds, with the potential for application as functional ingredients in cosmetics. Enzymatic processes are highlighted for their ability to optimize extraction, preserving the bioactivity of the compounds while significantly reducing the environmental footprint compared to conventional resource-intensive methods. This work emphasizes scientific articles that incorporate the principles of the circular economy, promoting the reuse of solid waste and mitigating the need to extract new natural resources. The valorization of waste through advanced biotechnological technologies addresses critical environmental challenges and offers innovative solutions that transform agro-industrial by-products into high-value inputs for the cosmetic industry. The results presented reinforce this approach’s feasibility and positive impact, promoting economic and environmental benefits. This study highlights the transformative role of enzymatic hydrolysis in the transition toward a more sustainable, efficient cosmetics industry integrated with global decarbonization goals.

A nanotecnologia pode ser definida como uma expressão genérica de um complexo de tecnologias, técnicas e processos voltados ao desenvolvimento de novos materiais em escala nanométrica e podendo ser aplicada em diferentes setores industriais, inclusive no alimentício. Tendo em vista o aumento do consumo de produtos biodegradáveis e aspectos ambientais do mesmo, diversas tecnologias vêm sendo empregadas na indústria alimentícia, buscando evitar a produção exagerada de resíduos e o desperdício, otimizando a cadeia produtiva em diferentes pontos onde possa reduzir o custo de fabricação, aumentar a vida de prateleira ou adicionar algum ingrediente funcional. Este estudo apresenta uma revisão de uma série de aplicações da nanotecnologia na produção de alimentos, em especial nos produtos cárneos, lácteos, doces, frutas e vegetais, embalagens e nanosensores.