Innovative encapsulation of Dysphania ambrosioides essential oil and α-terpinene with gum arabic and inulin: Enhancing antibacterial activity, stability, and bioavailability.

Dysphania ambrosioides essential oil (EO) possesses significant antibacterial and antioxidant properties. However, its application as a food preservation agent is limited due to high volatility and instability. Given the industrial relevance of this EO, developing new products that incorporate microencapsulated D. ambrosioides EO is recommended. This study addresses these challenges by encapsulating the EO using inulin and gum arabic (IN/GA) biopolymers, known for their biocompatibility and biodegradability. We systematically evaluated the encapsulation efficiency and structural properties of the resulting microcapsules. Advanced characterization techniques, including FT-IR, SEM, and EDX, were used to analyze the chemical interactions and morphological characteristics of the microcapsules. The thermal stability of the microcapsules was assessed using TGA, while their stability and bioaccessibility were evaluated under simulated in vitro digestion conditions. The formulation (C1) used in this study demonstrated a high encapsulation efficiency (88 %). The IN/GA formulations successfully microencapsulated EO and α-terpinene, producing microcapsules with high stability (>80 %) and bioaccessibility (>40 %). These microcapsules showed controlled release during digestion and exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These findings suggest that inulin and gum arabic are effective macromolecules for stabilizing this EO, offering valuable potential applications in the food industry.