Comparative Stability and Anesthetic Evaluation of Holy Basil Essential Oil Formulated in SNEDDS and Microemulsion Systems in Cyprinus carpio var. Koi.

Background/Objectives: Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) essential oil exhibits antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anesthetic activities, mainly due to eugenol, methyl eugenol, and β-caryophyllene. However, its clinical application is limited by poor water solubility, instability, and low bioavailability. This study developed and compared two delivery systems, self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) and microemulsions (ME), to enhance their stability and fish anesthetic efficacy. Methods: The optimized SNEDDS (25% basil oil, 8.33% coconut oil, 54.76% Tween 80, 11.91% PEG 400) and ME (12% basil oil, 32% Tween 80, 4% sorbitol, 12% ethanol, 40% water) were characterized for droplet size, PDI, zeta potential, pH, and viscosity. Stability was evaluated by monitoring droplet size and PDI over time and by determining the retention of eugenol, methyl eugenol, and β-caryophyllene after storage at 45 °C. Fish anesthetic efficacy was tested in koi carp (Cyprinus carpio var. koi). Results: SNEDDS maintained a small droplet size (~22.78 ± 1.99 nm) and low PDI (0.188 ± 0.088 at day 60), while ME showed significant size enlargement (up to 177.10 ± 47.50 nm) and high PDI (>0.5). After 90 days at 45 °C, SNEDDS retained 94.45% eugenol, 94.08% methyl eugenol, and 88.55% β-caryophyllene, while ME preserved 104.76%, 103.53%, and 94.47%, respectively. In vivo testing showed that SNEDDS achieved faster anesthesia (114.70 ± 24.80 s at 120 ppm) and shorter recovery (379.60 ± 15.61 s) than ME (134.90 ± 4.70 s; 473.80 ± 16.94 s). Ethanol failed to induce anesthesia at 40 ppm and performed poorly compared to SNEDDS and ME at other concentrations (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: SNEDDS demonstrated superior physical stability and fish anesthetic performance compared to ME. These findings support SNEDDS as a promising formulation for delivering holy basil essential oil in biomedical and aquaculture applications.