Eugenol and thymol immobilised on mesoporous silica-based material as an innovative antifungal system: Application in strawberry jam

- Innovative antifungal systems with eugenol and thymol were studied.
- Immobilisation of bioactive agents on MCM-41 enhances its antifungal action.
- Eugenol and thymol immobilised on MCM-41 improves the drawbacks due to its flavour.
- Eugenol and thymol immobilised on MCM-41 are promising antifungal agents.

Essential oils and their main compounds have been studied in-depth for their antifungal properties against a wide variety of microorganisms. However, the strong odour emitted by them, even at low concentrations, makes their incorporation into food matrices difficult. Immobilisation of antimicrobial compounds on solid surfaces could be a strategy to reduce their odour impact. The antifungal effectiveness of eugenol and thymol bioactive agents, free and immobilised on mesoporous silica microparticles (MCM-41 family), and their impact on the final aroma and fungal decay of strawberry jam, were evaluated herein. Free eugenol and thymol exhibited good antifungal properties against the fungi strains tested, and thymol proved more effective. The antifungal activity of immobilised eugenol and thymol displayed greater antifungal activity for immobilised eugenol. The jams prepared with immobilised eugenol on MCM-41 microparticles exhibited no mould and yeast development during the studied storage time. The sensory evaluation confirmed that eugenol and thymol immobilisation reduced their typical strong impact on strawberry jam flavour. This work demonstrates the promising use of immobilised eugenol on mesoporous silica microparticles to control strawberry jam decay.