The Effect of Cellulose Particles with Different Structure on the Stability of Thyme Oil Emulsion

Abstract The thyme oil emulsion was prepared using a novel type of spherical nanocellulose obtained under different hydrolysis time. The effect of different nanocellulose structures on the interfacial adsorption properties of emulsion and loading efficiency of thyme oil were analyzed. The results showed the particle size of emulsion decreased with the increasing of hydrolysis time. The loading efficiency of all emulsions for thyme oil reached about 80%. The retention rate of thyme oil decreased during the storage period, and rising temperatures will exacerbate the loss of thyme oil. Compared to the 2 h, emulsions stabilized by 10 h nanocellulose exhibited better stability and higher retention at all storage conditions. This was mainly due to the fact the nanocellulose (10 h) formed a dense structure that prevented the essential oils from volatilizing and migrating. The experimental results confirmed that cellulose can be used as stabilizer to encapsulate and transport hydrophobic active ingredient.