| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7584215 | Food Chemistry | 2018 | 31 Pages |
Abstract
The aim of this work is the encapsulation of essential oils (EOs) in polymeric nanocapsules (NCs), in order to enhance their antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens. Thymus capitatus and Origanum vulgare EOs were selected for their different chemical composition, carvacrol (73%) and thymol (44%) being the major constituent, respectively. Polymeric poly(É-caprolactone) (PCL) nanocapsules loaded with EOs were prepared by a nanoprecipitation method. The EO-NCs showed monomodal distribution with diameter size 171 and 175â¯nm, high efficiency of encapsulation and stability with high retention of EOs at both 4â¯Â°C and 40â¯Â°C, for a period of at least 30â¯days. The antimicrobial activity of EO-NCs against food-borne pathogens was higher than that of the corresponding pure essential oils and the NCs loaded with Thymus capitatus EO were the most active. Interestingly EO-NCs showed a bactericidal activity even at the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). It makes them appealing as natural food preservatives.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
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Authors
Giuseppe Granata, Stefano Stracquadanio, Marco Leonardi, Edoardo Napoli, Grazia Maria Letizia Consoli, Viviana Cafiso, Stefania Stefani, Corrada Geraci,