Microencapsulation of Eugenol Through Gelatin-Based Emulgel for Preservation of Refrigerated Meat

Bioactive compound encapsulation: Characteristics, applications in food systems, and implications for human health

Nanotechnology plays a pivotal role in food science, particularly in the nanoencapsulation of bioactive compounds, to enhance their stability, bioavailability, and therapeutic potential. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the encapsulation of bioactive compounds, emphasizing the characteristics, food applications, and implications for human health. This work offers a detailed comparison of polymers such as sodium alginate, gum Arabic, chitosan, cellulose, pectin, shellac, and xanthan gum, while also examining both conventional and emerging encapsulation techniques, including freeze-drying, spray-drying, extrusion, coacervation, and supercritical anti-solvent drying. The contribution of this review lies in highlighting the role of encapsulation in improving system stability, controlling release rates, maintaining bioactivity under extreme conditions, and reducing lipid oxidation. Furthermore, it explores recent technological advances aimed at optimizing encapsulation processes for targeted therapies and functional foods. The findings underline the significant potential of encapsulation not only in food supplements and functional foods but also in supportive medical treatments, showcasing its relevance to improving human health in various contexts.

Novel cinnamon essential oil-bacterial cellulose microcapsules for enhanced preservation of prefabricated meat

Bacterial cellulose, a naturally porous nanomaterial, shows significant potential in encapsulation and sustained-release applications. However, effective methods to construct bacterial cellulose microcapsules (BCM) are lacking, resulting in low embedding rates and poor slow-release effects. This study presents a novel and efficient BCM preparation strategy using mercerization to embed cinnamon essential oil (CEO). The CEO-BCM system was evaluated for its efficacy in preserving prefabricated meat. Results demonstrated that BCM, embedded with CEO through mercerization, achieved an embedding rate of 94.9 % and an average particle size of 63.7 μm. Mercerization transformed BC crystalline into cellulose type II, densifying the BCM structure, while intermolecular hydrogen bonding between BCM and CEO enhanced the stability of CEO-BCM. Release kinetics analysis indicated that CEO release was primarily diffusion-driven (Peppas-Sahlin model) with sustained release performance up to 20 days. Additionally, CEO-BCM exhibited excellent long-term antibacterial (≥81.2 % within 20 days), antioxidant, and thermal stability, effectively extending the shelf life of prefabricated meat products from 5 to 10 days. The developed BCM construction strategy not only addresses the challenges of direct BCM preparation and the limitations in core embedding and controlled release, but also enhances the stability of the CEO. This advancement further expands the application areas of bacterial cellulose (BC), and the prepared CEO-BCM system holds significant potential for food preservation applications.

Effects of Carbon Dots/PVA Film Combined with Radio Frequency Treatment on Storage Quality of Fried Meatballs

The combination of carbon dots/polyvinyl alcohol (CDs/PVA) active film and radio frequency (RF) was performed to improve the storage quality of fried meatball samples. The microbicidal effect of RF, and the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of CDs/PVA film were investigated. The CDs/PVA film can effectively restrain the growth of B. subtilis, S. aureus, and E. coli, and eliminate DPPH and ABTS free radicals. RF exerts inhibitory effects on C. albicans, B. subtilis, and E. coli. For meatball samples, CDs/PVA+RF20 can extend the refrigerated shelf life from 2 w to 6 w. At the sixth week, the total bacterial count (TBC) in CDs/PVA+RF20 group (3.72 log CFU/g) was remarkably lower than those in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) group (7.78 log CFU/g) and CDs/PVA (6.41 log CFU/g) group. CDs/PVA+RF20 can also inhibit the increase in TBARS and POV values. The results manifest the feasibility of CDs/PVA+RF as a novel mild pasteurization or preservation technology.

Preparation and characterization of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare miller) essential oil/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex and its application for chilled pork preservation

Fennel essential oil (FEO) a natural spice that has versatile biological activities. However, the direct use of FEO is limited due to its water insolubility and poor stability. Chilled pork is prone to spoilage during storage. To solve these problems, this study aimed to prepare an inclusion complex (IC) of FEO with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin via co-precipitation and apply it to the preservation of chilled pork. Results indicated that the optimal parameters were encapsulating temperature 37 °C, wall-core ratio 14:1 g/mL, stirring speed 600 r/min, and encapsulating time 240 min, obtaining an encapsulation efficiency of 83.75%. The results of scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance demonstrated the successful preparation of IC. The release of FEO from IC was controllable through adjusting the different temperatures and relative humidities. Furthermore, IC effectively delayed the spoilage of chilled pork and extended its shelf life by 6 days at 4 °C.

New perspective on protein-based microcapsules as delivery vehicles for sensitive substances: A review

Sensitive substances have attracted wide attention due to their rich functional activities, such as antibiosis activities, antioxidant activities and prevent disease, etc. However, the low stability of sensitive substances limits their bioavailability and functional activities. Protein-based microcapsules can encapsulate sensitive substances to improve their adverse properties due to their good stability, strong emulsifying ability and wide source. Therefore, it is necessary to fully elaborate and summarize protein-based microcapsules to maximize their potential benefits in nutritional interventions. The focus of this review is to highlight the classification of protein-based microcapsules. In addition, the principles, advantages and disadvantages of preparation methods for protein-based microcapsules are summarized. Some novel preparation methods for protein-based microcapsules are also emphasized. Moreover, the mechanism of protein-based microcapsules that release sensitive substances in vitro is elucidated and summarized. Furthermore, the applications of protein-based microcapsules are outlined. Protein-based microcapsules can effectively encapsulate sensitive substances, which improve their bioavailability, and provide protective effects during storage and gastrointestinal digestion. In addition, microcapsules can improve the sensory quality of food and enhance its stability. The performance of protein-based microcapsules for delivering sensitive substances is influenced by factors such as protein type, the ratio between protein ratio and the other wall material, the preparation process, etc. Future research should focus on the new composite protein-based microcapsule delivery system, which can be applied to in vivo research and have synergistic effects and precise nutritional functions. In summary, protein-based microcapsules have broader research prospects in the functional foods and nutrition field.

Preparation and Characterization of Eugenol Incorporated Pullulan-Gelatin Based Edible Film of Pickering Emulsion and Its Application in Chilled Beef Preservation

The purpose of this study was to develop a composite film composed of eugenol Pickering emulsion and pullulan-gelatin, and to evaluate its preservation effect on chilled beef. The prepared composite film was comprehensively evaluated in terms of the stability of emulsion, the physical properties of the film, and an analysis of freshness preservation for chilled beef. The emulsion size (296.0 ± 10.2 nm), polydispersity index (0.457 ± 0.039), and potential (20.1 ± 0.9 mV) proved the success of emulsion. At the same time, the films displayed good mechanical and barrier properties. The index of beef preservation also indicated that eugenol was a better active ingredient than clove essence oil, which led to the rise of potential of hydrogen, chroma and water content, and effectively inhibited microbial propagation, protein degradation and lipid oxidation. These results suggest that the prepared composites can be used as promising materials for chilled beef preservation.

Emulsion-Based Coatings for Preservation of Meat and Related Products

One of the biggest challenges faced by the meat industry is maintaining the freshness of meat while extending its shelf life. Advanced packaging systems and food preservation techniques are highly beneficial in this regard. However, the energy crisis and environmental pollution demand an economically feasible and environmentally sustainable preservation method. Emulsion coatings (ECs) are highly trending in the food packaging industry. Efficiently developed coatings can preserve food, increase nutritional composition, and control antioxidants' release simultaneously. However, their construction has many challenges, especially for meat. Therefore, the following review focuses on the essential aspects of developing ECs for meat. The study begins by classifying emulsions based on composition and particle size, followed by a discussion on the physical properties, such as ingredient separation, rheology, and thermal characteristics. Furthermore, it discusses the lipid and protein oxidation and antimicrobial characteristics of ECs, which are necessary for other aspects to be relevant. Lastly, the review presents the limitations of the literature while discussing the future trends. ECs fabricated with antimicrobial/antioxidant properties present promising results in increasing the shelf life of meat while preserving its sensory aspects. In general, ECs are highly sustainable and effective packaging systems for meat industries.

Preparation of a Novel Carbon Dot/Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Film and Its Application in Food Preservation

Carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized with the facile hydrothermal method to produce CDs/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) active food packaging films. The CDs had a diameter ranging from 2.01 to 5.61 nm and were well-dispersed. The effects of different concentrations of CDs on mechanical strength, water resistance, morphology, optical, and thermal performance of the CDs/PVA films were discussed. The incorporation of CDs in the PVA film improved its mechanical properties, water resistance properties, UV blocking properties, and thermal stability and endowed the composite film with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The maximum scavenging rates of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ABTS free radicals by the 0.50% CDs/PVA film were 72.81 and 97.08%, respectively. The inhibition zone diameters of the 0.50% CDs/PVA solution against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were 9.52, 8.21, and 9.05 mm, respectively. Using the 0.50% CDs/PVA film as active packaging, the shelf life of banana, jujube, and fried meatballs was observed to be extended significantly. These results demonstrate the viability of the CDs/PVA composite film as a promising active food packaging material.