Zhu Zhu, Min Tiantian, Zhang Xueji, Wen Yongqiang
School of Chemistry and Bioengineering, University of Science & Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China.
Materials (Basel). 2019 Apr 7;12(7):1133. doi: 10.3390/ma12071133.
Thymol has been shown to be a safe and effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that can be used as a food preservative. However, its volatile characteristics and strong odor limit its use in food products. The microencapsulation of this essential oil in biopolymers could overcome these disadvantages. In this work, thymol-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles were successfully prepared and the optimal encapsulation efficiency was obtained at 20% (w/w) thymol. Microparticles containing thymol presented a spherical shape and smooth surface. Microencapsulation significantly improved the thermal and storage stability of thymol. In vitro release profiles demonstrated an initial fast release followed by a slow and sustained release. Thymol-loaded microparticles had strong antibacterial activity against and , and the effectiveness of their antibacterial properties was confirmed in a milk test. Therefore, the thymol-loaded microparticles show great potential for use as an antimicrobial and as preservation additives in food.
百里香酚已被证明是一种安全有效的广谱抗菌剂，可作为食品防腐剂使用。然而，其挥发性特性和强烈气味限制了它在食品中的应用。将这种精油微囊化于生物聚合物中可以克服这些缺点。在这项工作中，成功制备了负载百里香酚的聚（丙交酯-乙交酯）（PLGA）微粒，并在百里香酚含量为20%（w/w）时获得了最佳包封效率。含有百里香酚的微粒呈球形且表面光滑。微囊化显著提高了百里香酚的热稳定性和储存稳定性。体外释放曲线表明，初始阶段为快速释放，随后是缓慢而持续的释放。负载百里香酚的微粒对[具体菌种1]和[具体菌种2]具有很强的抗菌活性，并且在牛奶测试中证实了其抗菌性能的有效性。因此，负载百里香酚的微粒作为食品中的抗菌剂和保鲜添加剂具有巨大的应用潜力。
