Clove leaf essential oil Pickering emulsion stabilized by octenyl succinic anhydride modified waxy maize starch: An eco-friendly alternative

Clove leaf essential oil (CEO) is renowned for its well-established bioactive properties, which makes it an element with high added-value, especially for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Nevertheless, its use is hindered by instability and limited water solubility. Therefore, this study aimed to overcome these challenges by developing a stable Pickering emulsion of clove leaf essential oil using octenyl succinic anhydride modified waxy maize starch (OSA starch) particles as stabilizing agent, providing an eco-friendly alternative to conventional surfactants. First, the experimental conditions for the development of two distinct emulsion were optimized using a Response Surface Methodology (RSM). As a result, slightly shear-thickening behavior emulsions were obtained, with droplet size from 1 to 6 μm, absolute zeta potential values above 30 mV, and an exceptional stability for more than a month. These aspects can be linked to the synergistic effect of chemical/electrostatic interaction between essential oil and OSA starch. Finally, both samples exhibited an outstanding antibacterial efficacy, with MBC/MIC values below 4, classifying them as bactericidal agents against some typical foodborne pathogens. Our results indicate that these Pickering emulsions have noteworthy properties that make them an additive with promising potential for application in the food industry.