Cinnamon essential oil Pickering emulsion stabilized by zein-pectin composite nanoparticles: Characterization, antimicrobial effect and advantages in storage application

Recently, the use of emulsion as a delivery system for essential oils has attracted increasing attention. In this research, cinnamon essential oil Pickering emulsion (ZCCPEs) stabilized by zein-pectin composite nanoparticles (ZCPs) was constructed as an effective antimicrobial system. Thereafter, the influence of ZCPs concentration on the stability of ZCCPEs was studied. The results showed that 0.25% ZCPs could reduce the bioorganic matter by four times compared with 1% ZCPs while maintaining good physical stability. The inhibitory effect of ZCCPEs on two food-related microorganisms (i.e. Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea) was evaluated by antimicrobial assay. In addition, two fresh-cut apple slices models were constructed to systematically evaluate the application potential of ZCCPEs in food preservation. Due to the well dispersibility and sustained-release ability, ZCCPEs showed superior antibacterial performance than pure essential oil. The fabricated zein-pectin based Pickering emulsions might provide a promising alternative for the delivery of antimicrobial essential oils in the food industries.