Preparation and characterization of essential oil-loaded starch nanoparticles formed by short glucan chains

Essential oils (EOs), including menthone, oregano, cinnamon, lavender, and citral, are natural products that have antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. However, extremely low water solubility, and easy degradation by heat, restrict their application. The aim of this work was to evaluate the enhancement in antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of EOs encapsulated in starch nanoparticles (SNPs) prepared by short glucan chains. For the first time, we have successfully fabricated menthone-loaded SNPs (SNPs-M) at different complexation temperatures (30, 60, and 90 °C) by an in situ nanoprecipitation method. The SNPs-M displayed spherical shapes, and the particle sizes ranged from 93 to 113 nm. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of SNPs-M increased significantly with an increase in complexation temperature, and the maximum EE was 86.6%. The SNPs-M formed at 90 °C had high crystallization and thermal stability. The durations of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of EOs was extended by their encapsulation in the SNPs.