Stability and antimicrobial activity of lemongrass essential oil in nanoemulsions produced by high‐intensity ultrasounds and stabilized by soy lecithin, hydrolyzed whey proteins, gum Arabic, or their ternary admixture

Abstract

Stability and antimicrobial activity of lemongrass essential oil (LEO) nanoemulsions (NEs) as affected by high-intensity ultrasounds, emulsifier type, and concentration were investigated during 14 days of storage. Soy lecithin (SL), whey protein hydrolysates (WPH), and ternary admixture were the most efficient emulsifiers to decrease the droplet size. WPH emulsions, followed by SL, have shown to be the most oxidatively stable with constant levels of PV and TBARS until the end of storage, even SL emulsions showed high TBARS levels. Unlike WPH and SL emulsions, gum Arabic (GA) and ternary stabilized admixtures were only able to lag TBARS level up to 7 days of storage. GA emulsions were the most effective as antimicrobials against all pathogens tested. Samples were treated with emulsions prepared with GA and WPH, although they were not as efficient in log reduction as the pure oil, the microorganism was not able to recover its survivability after 24 h. Novelty impact statement:The present study has shown that soy lecithin (SL), whey protein hydrolysates (WPH), gum Arabic (GA), and their ternary admixture alongside high-intensity ultrasounds can improve the physical, thermal, color, and oxidative stability and antimicrobial activity of lemongrass essential oil (LEO) nanoemulsions (NEs).Although there are some studies on lemongrass essential oil encapsulation in nanoemulsions, using different emulsifiers and their ternary admixtures, the study of lipid oxidation and color deterioration is yet to be considered. This may give an idea of the stability of these emulsions during storage, in case they will be used as beverages, or they will be under conditions of high temperature and light exposure.

Developments of Core/Shell Chitosan-Based Nanofibers by Electrospinning Techniques: A Review

“…Similarly, Lamarra et al (2023) [115] studied peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita) encapsulation within nanostructures comprising chitosan, PVA, and soy lecithin. Soy lecithin was applied as a stabilizer by reducing interfacial tension between the oil and water phases in an O/W emulsion, adsorbing on the droplet surface, and inducing a negative surface charge to create repulsive forces that counteract destabilization [164]. The hydrophilic nature of both chitosan and PVA contributed to the hydrophilic characteristic observed in the O/W emulsion.…”

Novel naturally derived encapsulation agents in the ionic liquid form for sustainable emulsion-based products

“…Previously, rosemary EO emulsions obtained by HIU using gum Arabic as encapsulation agent at 10% (w/w) presented EE of eucalyptol from 83% to 97%, depending on the ultrasound energy strategy 21 . Moreover, soy lecithin and hydrolyzed whey protein have been shown to be as alternatives to polysaccharides 22 . In fact, affording NEO-based emulsions with high kinetic stability with some traditional commercial encapsulating agents could be a challenge, and bioactive compounds are better retained in highly stable emulsions.…”

“…21 Moreover, soy lecithin and hydrolyzed whey protein have been shown to be as alternatives to polysaccharides. 22 In fact, affording NEO-based emulsions with high kinetic stability with some traditional commercial encapsulating agents could be a challenge, and bioactive compounds are better retained in highly stable emulsions. In these cases, a higher concentration of some commercial encapsulating agents can be used to achieve the desire performance, 20,21 unlike the proposed ILs used at 1% (w/w) with the possibility of being used at much lower concentrations.…”