Preparation and characterization of β-cyclodextrin-oregano essential oil microcapsule and its effect on storage behavior of purple yam

Release mechanism of UV responded chitosan-decorated TiO2 microcapsules: Regulation of humidity

In this research, the synergistic influences of UV light and relative humidity on the structure and immediate triggered release abilities of microcapsules loaded with oregano essential oil (OEO) were investigated. The microcapsules sufficiently were encouraged to release OEO by UV irradiation and regulated by ambient humidity. Relatively low humidity from 23 to 58% had no impact on the encapsulation efficiency and release processes of microcapsules in food simulations and air significantly. Analysis of microstructure showed that UV irradiation and higher relative humidity were conducive to fracturing glycosidic bonds of microcapsule shell through hydroxyl radicals generated by TiO2 and vapour. Finally, microcapsules were applied to the preservation of chicken breasts for 6 d and the results showed that chicken breasts with microcapsules that had been irradiated by UV light at 76 %RH would have better quality and the shelf life was extended, which evidenced its excellent foreground in meat preservation.

Multifunctional Pomegranate Peel Microparticles with Health-Promoting Effects for the Sustainable Development of Novel Nutraceuticals and Pharmaceuticals

Recovering the bioactive components from pomegranate peel (PP) in the fruit-processing industry has attracted great attention in terms of minimizing the waste burden, as well as providing a new source of a multitude of functional compounds. The present study aimed to develop a feasible microencapsulation process of PP extract by using pectin and a pectin/2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) blend as coating materials. Microsized powders obtained by a spray drying technique were examined in terms of technological characteristics, exhibiting high powder yield and desirable moisture content, flowability, and cohesive properties. Assuming that the interactions with the used biopolymers occur on the surface hydrophobic domain, their presence significantly improved the thermal stability of the microencapsulated powders up to 200 °C. The health-promoting effects of PP have been associated with its high content in ellagitannins, particularly punicalagin. The obtained PP powders exhibited strong antioxidant and hypoglycemic potential, while an antimicrobial assay revealed their potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Additionally, an in vitro release study suggested that the used biopolymers can modify the release of target bioactive compounds, thus establishing a basis for developing an oral-controlled release system. Altogether, biowaste valorization from PP by the production of effective multifunctional microsized powders represents a sustainable way to obtain novel nutraceuticals and/or pharmaceuticals.

Advances in Designing Essential Oil Nanoformulations: An Integrative Approach to Mathematical Modeling with Potential Application in Food Preservation

Preservation of foods, along with health and safety issues, is a growing concern in the current generation. Essential oils have emerged as a natural means for the long-term protection of foods along with the maintenance of their qualities. Direct applications of essential oils have posed various constraints to the food system and also have limitations in application; hence, encapsulation of essential oils into biopolymers has been recognized as a cutting-edge technology to overcome these challenges. This article presents and evaluates the strategies for the development of encapsulated essential oils on the basis of fascination with the modeling and shuffling of various biopolymers, surfactants, and co-surfactants, along with the utilization of different fabrication processes. Artificial intelligence and machine learning have enabled the preparation of different nanoemulsion formulations, synthesis strategies, stability, and release kinetics of essential oils or their bioactive components from nanoemulsions with improved efficacy in food systems. Different mathematical models for the stability and delivery kinetics of essential oils in food systems have also been discussed. The article also explains the advanced application of modeling-based encapsulation strategies on the preservation of a variety of food commodities with their intended implication in food and agricultural industries.

Alginate-based edible coating with oregano essential oil/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex for chicken breast preservation

A sodium alginate (SA) edible coating containing oregano essential oil (OEO)/β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) inclusion complexes (SA/OEO-MP coating) was developed to extend the shelf life of fresh chicken breast during refrigeration storage. First, OEO was inserted into the hydrophobic interior of β-CD to form an inclusion complex (OEO-MP) that maintained its excellent antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The formed OEO-MP was characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results demonstrated that β-CD could improve the thermal stability of OEO. The encapsulation efficiency reached 71.6 %, and OEO was released continuously from the OEO-MP. The lipid oxidation, total viable count (TVC) and sensory properties of chicken breasts were regularly monitored when OEO-MP was incorporated into the SA coating for chicken breast preservation. Compared with the uncoated group, the SA/OEO-MP-coated groups showed significantly reduced increases in pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), and TVC, especially in the SA/OEO-MP1 group. In summary, the SA/OEO-MP coating could preserve the chicken breast by reducing lipid oxidation and inhibiting the proliferation of microorganisms. It would be developed as a prospective edible packaging for chicken preservation.

Preparation of aromatic β-cyclodextrin nano/microcapsules and corresponding aromatic textiles: A review

Fragrance finishing of textiles is receiving substantial interest, with aromatherapy being one of the most popular aspects of personal health care. However, the longevity of aroma on textiles and presence after subsequent launderings are major concerns for aromatic textiles directly loaded with essential oils. These drawbacks can be weakened by incorporating essential oil-complexed β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) onto various textiles. This article reviews various preparation methods of aromatic β-cyclodextrin nano/microcapsules, as well as a wide variety of methods for the preparation of aromatic textiles based on them before and after forming, proposing future trends in preparation processes. The review also covers the complexation of β-CDs with essential oils, and the application of aromatic textiles based on β-CD nano/microcapsules. Systematic research on the preparation of aromatic textiles facilitates the realization of green and simple industrialized large-scale production, providing needed application potential in the fields of various functional materials.

Preparation and plasticizing mechanism of deep eutectic solvent/lignin plasticized chitosan films

Chitosan (CS) is a natural biopolymer from crab shells known for its biocompatibility and biodegradability; however, CS films are extremely rigid, limiting their applications. In this study, CS composite films were prepared based on the selective dissolution of lignin by deep eutectic solvents (DES), and the toughening effect of this DES/lignin on a CS film substrate was examined, along with its corresponding mechanism. The addition of DES/lignin effectively increased the plasticity of the CS film, giving a maximum elongation at break of 62.6 % for the plasticized film, which is 12.5 times that of the CS film. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed that molecules in the DES/lignin complex interacted with CS to break the hydrogen bonds between the CS molecules; simultaneously, each molecule recombined with the CS molecules via hydrogen bonding. Thus, the rigidity of the CS molecular chain was weakened to achieve a plasticized CS film, thereby demonstrating the ability of DES/regenerated lignin to improve the toughness of CS films, which provides a reference for modifying plasticity and could lead to the broader utilization of CS films.

Targeting therapy effects of composite hyaluronic acid/chitosan nanosystems containing inclusion complexes

In order to solve the difficulties in the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections, a novel enrofloxacin-cyclodextrin (β-CD) inclusion complexes (IC) containing hyaluronic acid/chitosan (HA/CS) self-assemble composite nanosystems covered by poloxamer 188 was designed in our previous study. In this study, the sustained release peforemance, targeting delivery, and therapy effects of the enrofloxacin-composite nanosystems were evaluated in vivo. The enrofloxacin-composite nanosystems had uniform size and smooth surface with drug loading capacity (LC) of 9.92 ± 0.3%. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the material used for the preparation of the enrofloxacin-composite nanosystems did not affect the thermal stability of enrofloxacin. Compared with enrofloxacin injection and enrofloxacin polymeric nanoparticles, the enrofloxacin-composite nanosystems had excellent sustained-release performance in vivo. The enrofloxacin-composite nanosystems have specific targeting to the infection site of Staphylococcus aureus. The excellent sustained release and targeting delivery properties ensure that the anti-infective treatment effect of the enrofloxacin-composite nanosystems in vivo was higher than that of enrofloxacin injection and enrofloxacin polymeric nanoparticles. It can more effectively promote the wound healing. These results suggest that our previous designed enrofloxacin-composite nanosystems will be a promising formulation for effective targeting therapy of Staphylococcus aureus infections.

β-cyclodextrin microencapsulation enhanced antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic properties of Tunisian Periploca angustifolia roots condensed tannins in rats

This study aimed to investigate the microencapsulation of novel condensed tannins isolated from Periploca angustifolia roots, using β-cyclodextrin macrocyclic oligosaccharides, in order to enhance their antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic potentials. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results revealed that tannin fraction was successfully included into β-cyclodextrin cavities proved with an encapsulation efficacy of 70%. Our in vitro findings highlighted that both pure and encapsulated tannins have efficient inhibition capacities of pancreatic lipase activity. However, the inclusion complex has the greatest, in vivo, antioxidant, and antihyperlipidemic effects. In fact, results showed that complexed tannins had markedly restored serum lipid biomarkers, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl oxidation, and antioxidant enzyme defense. These findings were additionally confirmed by aortic and myocardial muscle sections of histological examination. Consequently, β-cyclodextrin microencapsulation may be considered as an effective and promising technique for tannin delivery with improved antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activities.

Thermal, structural, antimicrobial, and physicochemical characterisation of thyme essential oil encapsulated in β- and γ-cyclodextrin

The present work aimed to encapsulate the thyme essential oil (TEO) in β-cyclodextrin (BCD) and γ-cyclodextrin (GCD) complexes in two selected cyclodextrin (CD) to TEO ratios (85/15 and 80/20 w/w) and compare the physicochemical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of the encapsulated powders. The inclusion complexes between CD and TEO were prepared by blending aqueous CD and TEO in ethanol followed by freeze-drying. The powder properties were assessed by measuring particle size and microstructure using SEM, FTIR, and XRD. The median values of the particle sizes (GCD: 92.0 ± 4.69 and BCD: 46.2 ± 2.56-mm) significantly influenced the encapsulation efficiency, resulting in a higher encapsulation efficiency of the GCD (92.02 ± 10.79%) than that of the BCD (56.30 ± 12.19%). The encapsulated GCD/TEO (80/20) showed higher antioxidant activity and an antimicrobial inhibitory effect against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica sv. typhimurium. Overall, the GCD acts as a superior wall material to the BCD in the TEO encapsulation.

Electrospinning as a Promising Process to Preserve the Quality and Safety of Meat and Meat Products

Fresh and processed meat products are staple foods worldwide. However, these products are considered perishable foods and their deterioration depends partly on the inner and external properties of meat. Beyond conventional meat preservation approaches, electrospinning has emerged as a novel effective alternative to develop active and intelligent packaging. Thus, this review aims to discuss the advantages and shortcomings of electrospinning application for quality and safety preservation of meat and processed meat products. Electrospun fibres are very versatile, and their features can be modulated to deliver functional properties such as antioxidant and antimicrobial effects resulting in shelf-life extension and in some cases product quality improvement. Compared to conventional processes, electrospun fibres provide advantages such as casting and coating in the fabrication of active systems, indicators, and sensors. The approaches for improving, stabilizing, and controlling the release of active compounds and highly sensitive, rapid, and reliable responsiveness, under changes in real-time are still challenging for innovative packaging development. Despite their advantages, the active and intelligent electrospun fibres for meat packaging are still restricted to research and not yet widely used for commercial products. Industrial validation of lab-scale achievements of electrospinning might boost their commercialisation. Safety must be addressed by evaluating the impact of electrospun fibres migration from package to foods on human health. This information will contribute into filling knowledge gaps and sustain clear regulations.

Development of Microcapsule Bioactive Paper Loaded with Chinese Fir Essential Oil to Improve the Quality of Strawberries

Essential oils are natural antibacterial substances and have potential value for application in fruit and vegetable packaging. In this study, Chinese fir essential oil (CFEO) was microencapsulated to prepare food packaging materials for the first time to overcome its volatilization and oxidation shortcomings and to obtain a sustained-release form of the oil. CFEO was effectively encapsulated in gelatin and chitosan using the complex coacervation method, and the encapsulation efficiency, microstructure, infrared spectrum and thermal stability of the microcapsules were evaluated. Experiments confirmed that the microcapsules had some antibacterial activity. A bioactive paper was developed by combining CFEO microcapsules (CFEO-Ms) with paper-based material using the film-forming property of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The coated paper showed good mechanical, air permeability and moisture permeability properties. Environmental scanning electron microscopy confirmed that CFEO-Ms bonded well with PVA and was successfully introduced into the paper fiber after coating, forming an obvious coating film on the surface to facilitate the continuous release of CFEO. The shelf life of strawberries was significantly prolonged when the PVA-coated paper mixed with 3% CFEO-Ms was used for packaging. The results demonstrated that the CFEO-Ms coated paper has the potential to become an effective packaging material for the preservation of strawberries.

Recent advances in cyclodextrin-based films for food packaging

Cyclodextrins are garnering increasing attention because they offer several benefits. For instance, cyclodextrins can form several complexes and supramolecular structures not only for food packaging but also for applications in other fields of science. In this review, we discussed the physical and chemical properties of cyclodextrins and the mechanism of their inclusion complex formation. The use of cyclodextrins in various types of food packaging is elaborated upon. We also explain the effects of cyclodextrins on the packaging of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and processed foods. Furthermore, some feasible suggestions for future applications are provided. In addition to the positive attributes of cyclodextrins, there are some limitations and drawbacks, which are discussed briefly in this review. In summary, this review can serve as a guide for researchers exploring cyclodextrins for the development of various packaging films.

Biocontrol Potential of Essential Oils in Organic Horticulture Systems: From Farm to Fork

In recent decades, increasing attention has been paid to food safety and organic horticulture. Thus, people are looking for natural products to manage plant diseases, pests, and weeds. Essential oils (EOs) or EO-based products are potentially promising candidates for biocontrol agents due to their safe, bioactive, biodegradable, ecologically, and economically viable properties. Born of necessity or commercial interest to satisfy market demand for natural products, this emerging technology is highly anticipated, but its application has been limited without the benefit of a thorough analysis of the scientific evidence on efficacy, scope, and mechanism of action. This review covers the uses of EOs as broad-spectrum biocontrol agents in both preharvest and postharvest systems. The known functions of EOs in suppressing fungi, bacteria, viruses, pests, and weeds are briefly summarized. Related results and possible modes of action from recent research are listed. The weaknesses of applying EOs are also discussed, such as high volatility and low stability, low water solubility, strong influence on organoleptic properties, and phytotoxic effects. Therefore, EO formulations and methods of incorporation to enhance the strengths and compensate for the shortages are outlined. This review also concludes with research directions needed to better understand and fully evaluate EOs and provides an outlook on the prospects for future applications of EOs in organic horticulture production.

Oregano Essential Oil Micro- and Nanoencapsulation With Bioactive Properties for Biotechnological and Biomedical Applications

Due to the preservative, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and therapeutic properties of oregano essential oil (OEO), it has received an emerging interest for biotechnological and biomedical applications. However, stability and bioactivity can be compromised by its natural volatile and hydrophobic nature, and by external factors including light, heat, or oxygen. Therefore, micro- and nanoencapsulation are being employed to guarantee oregano oil protection from outside aggressions and to maximize its potential. Oregano oil encapsulation is an interesting strategy used to increase its stability, enhance its bioactivity, and decrease its volatility. At the same time, the versatility that micro- and nanocarriers offer, allows to prepare tailored systems that can provide a controlled and targeted release of the encapsulated principle, influence its bioactive activities, or even provide additional properties. Most common materials used to prepare these carriers are based on lipids and cyclodextrins, due to their hydrophobic nature, polymers due to their versatility in composition, and hybrid lipid-polymer systems. In this context, recently developed micro- and nanocarriers encapsulating oregano oil with applications in the biotechnological and biomedical fields will be discussed.

Chemistry of enzymatic browning in longan fruit as a function of pericarp pH and dehydration and its prevention by essential oil, an alternative approach to SO2 fumigation

Background

Longan fruit is a rich source of bioactive compounds; however, enzymatic browning of pericarp and microbial decay have limited its postharvest life. SO₂ has widely been used to overcome these limitations; however, due to safety and regulatory concerns, alternative means should be identified. In this study, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of thymol (TH) essential oil were investigated against the enzymatic browning and decay of longan fruit.

Methods

Fruits were coated with TH (4%) for 5 min, sealed in polyethylene (PE) packages and stored at 4 °C for 42 d. Fruits immersed in distilled water (DW) and stored in PE were used as control.

Results

TH extended the postharvest life of longan to 42 d than 28 d in DW. TH residues decreased from 142 to 11.17 mg kg^-1, while no residues were found at day 42. TH significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced the respiration rate, inhibited polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) enzyme activities, sustained high phenols/flavonoids and prevented pericarp browning (BI) than DW. TH also effectively (P ≤ 0.05) maintained the color values, firmness of peel and aril, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), inhibited decay incidence (DI) and resulted in lower ethanol content than DW. BI as a function of pericarp pH was highly correlated; pH and BI (r = 0. 97), with PPO (r = 0.93) and with water loss (r = 0.99). A high coefficient of correlation of BI was found with the pericarp pH, enzymes, phenolic, water loss and decay incidence with ethanol. TH could be the best alternative to SO₂ and other synthetic preservatives.

Effect of PLA Active Packaging Containing Monoterpene-Cyclodextrin Complexes on Berries Preservation

Blackberries and raspberries are highly perishable and fragile products, which limits their shelf life. The effect of biodegradable active packaging of blackberries and raspberries containing 2.5% and 5.0% weight (wt%) of thymol or carvacrol complexed in β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs), successively added to poly (lactic acid) (PLA), and melt-processed by injection molding was evaluated under stored conditions at 4 °C for 21 days, using as reference commercial clamshell and PLA package control samples. Thus, physicochemical, headspace, microbiological, and sensory quality studies were carried out in order to compare the efficacy of the different packages. Concerning weight loss, color, and total phenolic and soluble solids content, significant differences were detected when compared with commercial clamshell packaging. The results show that the PLA packages containing thymol and carvacrol complexes maintained the color, weight, and phenolic content of berries until day 21, with a score up to 45% better compared to commercial clamshell. The headspace analysis detected 101 mg L⁻¹ (ppm) of thymol and 35 ppm of carvacrol on the first day of refrigeration; these concentrations decreased with time. This release mechanism of carvacrol and thymol into the PLA package modified the initial atmosphere composition. After 21 days of storage, the berries had 4.25 degrees of acceptance, without adverse perception of aroma or flavor for both carvacrol and thymol compounds. A general microbial inhibition was observed for yeast and molds, which increased with the concentration of monoterpene in PLA packages, and showed an inhibition of 3.5 log units for PLA packages containing thymol, and of 3 log units for those containing carvacrol. Overall results show that PLA/β-CD-thymol 5.0% packages prolonged raspberries’ and blackberries’ shelf life by one more week at 4 °C, compared with commercial clamshell packaging.