Essential oil-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers: The effects of liquid lipid type on the physicochemical properties in beverage models

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) can be used in the development of new functional foods. Cinnamon essential oil (CEO)-loaded NLC were prepared using different liquid edible oils (corn, sesamol, sweet almond, and black seed oil), a solid lipid (cocoa butter) and a surfactant (Tween 80). The average size and the encapsulation efficiency of CEO-NLC were in the range of 100 ± 1 - 120 ± 10 nm and more than 82.1 ± 0.03%, respectively, while the optimum results were obtained for the almond oil-based NLC. The zeta potentials of different formulation were -14.9 ± 0.1 to -17.5 ± 0.04 mV. The physicochemical stability of CEO-NLC was evaluated during 40 days with different pH conditions (i.e., pH of milk at 6.8 and some fruit juices at 3.8) and pasteurization treatment. Both particle size and the encapsulation stability slightly changed with different pH conditions and pasteurization treatment. The almond oil-based NLC showed promising properties for increasing the protection and stability of CEO with different conditions of food beverages.