Emulsion micro- and nanocapsules of the lactoglobulin concentrate / pectin system with essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia stabilized by ultrasound

Recent years have seen a rapidly growing interest in the use of plant-isolated bioactive compounds as ingredients in functional food and pharmaceuticals. It is known that food matrix, molecular size, external factors, and gastrointestinal environment can interfere with the bioavailability and absorption of such bioactive compounds in the body. The protection of specified compounds via nanoencapsulation technology can improve their stability. The present work is aimed at studying the application of a delivery system based on emulsion micro- and nanocapsules in the protection of bioactive compounds (essential oils), as well as examining the effect of ultrasound of different amplitudes on the stability of emulsion microcapsules in the protein/pectin system with essential oil. The following parameters were determined: average size of obtained microcapsules, zeta potential, specific surface area of the particles, and viscosity of the disperse system. Ultrasound is shown to initiate the formation of a pectin layer, with the charge density varying on the surface of emulsion particles depending on the applied ultrasonic force. The article presents the optimal ultrasound amplitude for the formation of medium-sized particles having a high specific surface area of 32967 cm2 per 1 mL of the emulsion. The obtained nano- and microparticles with essential oil exhibit good antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. The developed delivery systems based on food biopolymers with identified characteristics may well meet the requirements of the antibacterial drugs market and find their application in the field of functional food development.

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