Structure and functionality of cinnamaldehyde/chitosan/gum Arabic complex particles

The work aims to study the effects of the mixing order of chitosan, gum Arabic and cinnamaldehyde and the concentration of cinnamaldehyde on the structure and functionality of complex particles. The results showed that non-covalent and Schiff base reactions occurred between cinnamaldehyde, chitosan and gum Arabic. When chitosan and gum Arabic (CS-GA-1:0.3) were mixed first, the complex particles were flat spherical and more compact and existed in aggregate state, with higher particle size, Zeta potential and wettability, and lower interfacial tension. When mixing cinnamaldehyde with chitosan or gum Arabic first (CS-CA-1:0.3 and GA-CA-1:0.3) and adding high concentration of cinnamaldehyde (CS-GA-1:0.9 and CS-GA-1:1.2), the structural compactness and morphological regularity of the complex particles got weakened, leading to the decrease in contact angle and increase in interfacial tension. All complex particles could be effectively used as Pickering emulsion stabilizers. When chitosan:cinnamaldehyde mass ratio reached 1:0.6 and below, the complex particles showed obvious antibacterial properties. The above results laid a foundation for the application of chitosan-based complex particles in the food and medical field.