Plants and plant products, including essential oils, are globally recognized for their medicinal and therapeutic values. Various methods have been used to obtain essential oils efficient isolation from the plant material. In this research, vacuum hydrodistillation (VHD) was used to isolate oil from juniper berry (Juniperus communis L). Using GC-MS analysis, the chemical composition of the obtained oil was examined, which was compared with commercial ones. In the composition of VHD essential oil monoterpene fraction was dominant, with a significant percent of the sesquiterpene fraction, while the ?-pinene was the most abundant compound (21.7%). The analysis of the biological and pharmacological potential revealed that the oil obtained by VHD was a better antioxidant agent then commercial oil when it comes to scavenger activity against the ABTS radical (VHD oil 77.23 mg TE/g; commercial oil 8.31 mg TE/g) and reduction potential according to Cu2+ ion (VHD oil 107.13 mg TE/g). On the other hand, the enzyme inhibitory potential resulted in a stronger ability of the commercial oil to reduce excessive enzyme activity. The conducted research indicates that J. communis oil has shown significant biopotential and its use in food production and as a source of potent herbal medicines should be considered.

Lavandin essential oil (LEO) (Lavandula × intermedia) is a high-yielding aromatic product with broad bioactive potential, but its direct application is hindered by its volatility, rapid oxidation, and environmental sensitivity. In this study, the microencapsulation of LEO by spray drying using different wall materials was investigated: Maltodextrin (MD), Gum Arabic (GA), Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC), Inulin (IN), and Modified Starch (Hi-Cap). The resulting formulations exhibited encapsulation efficiencies (EEs) of 55.35–83.29%, oil retention (RE) of 49.07–76.65%, and yields of 41.39–71.47%. The MD/GA blend with Tween 80 performed best, as it offered high EE and RE, low residual moisture, fast reconstitution, and strong protection of the encapsulated oil against thermal and moisture stress. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) identified 38 volatile components, with linalyl acetate (30.38%) and linalool (24.65%) being the major components. Biological tests confirmed that the antimicrobial and antifungal activity of lavandin against some pathogens was maintained even when a much lower concentration of the oil (1–5%) was used in encapsulated form. Antioxidant activity decreased after encapsulation, while tyrosinase inhibition increased, indicating cosmetic potential. These results show that spray drying is an effective strategy for stabilizing LEO and expanding its applications in various industries.

Alchemilla subcrenata Buser is a montane Alchemilla (Rosaceae) species with established traditional medicinal use but only limited prior phytochemical characterization, restricted to preliminary observations on phenolic content and peroxidase activity. This study reports the first systematic optimisation of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) conditions for this species using a Box–Behnken design within a Response Surface Methodology (RSM) framework. Three extraction variables, ethanol concentration (30–70%, v/v), solid-to-liquid ratio (1:10–1:20, w/v), and extraction time (10–30 min), were simultaneously optimised against twelve response variables encompassing total phenolic and flavonoid contents, six antioxidant assays, and four enzyme inhibitory activities (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, and α-amylase). Second-order polynomial models demonstrated good predictive ability for most responses (R² = 0.878–0.971 for eleven of the twelve responses), with the exception of metal chelation, which showed a lower fit (R² = 0.671) and was excluded from optimisation; the multiobjective optimization identified optimal conditions of 60% ethanol, 1:12.5 (w/v) solid-to-liquid ratio, and 10 min extraction time. Under optimal conditions, MAE delivered exceptional in vitro antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities from A. subcrenata. LC-MS/MS characterisation, representing the first comprehensive phenolic profiling of this species, identified 28 phenolic compounds (1599.7 μg/g extract), dominated by quercetin-3-O-hexoside, gallic acid, catechin, and kaempferol glycosides; naringenin and aesculetin represent novel phytochemical records for A. subcrenata. The abundant presence of quercetin hexosides and hydroxycinnamic acids offers a mechanistic explanation for the broad, multi-target bioactivity observed, positioning A. subcrenata as a promising source of bioactive phenolics that warrants further investigation for potential nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical applications.