Study of allicin microcapsules in β-cyclodextrin and porous starch mixture

Allicin has several biological properties; however, its low stability and water-solubility limit its use as food preservatives. New allicin microcapsules can be efficiently prepared via a spray drying technology using β-cyclodextrin with porous starch as a wall material. This process improves their properties; thus increasing their solubility, allowing them to be directly dissolved in water. Furthermore, the stability of allicin microcapsules against heat, pH, light and oxygen also improved, with the amounts of allicin improving by about 20% to 40%. Thus, allicin microcapsules retained the desired antimicrobial activity after encapsulation with high temperatures, with retention rates ranging from 85.5% ± 1.53% to 92.2% ± 1.70%. In addition, microcapsules still exhibited a broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against food borne pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Dysentery bacillus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Aspergillus niger, Penicllium notatum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with minimum inhibitory concentration ranging from 2.5 μg/ml to 30 μg/ml. Hence, this study can promote the application of allicin as preservatives in the food industry.

► A new allicin microcapsule having high water-solubility and stability was obtained. ► A spray-drying technology was established for preparing the microcapsule. ► Allicin retained its high bioactivities after encapsulation with high temperature. ► It exhibited a broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against food borne pathogens. ► Its MIC ranged from 2.5 μg/ml to 30 μg/ml.