Formation and characterization of calcium alginate hydrogel beads filled with cumin seeds essential oil

Preparation and characterization of novel encapsulation system based on calcium alginate hydrogels filled with cumin essential oil has been investigated. Firstly, the effect of sodium alginate concentration, CaCl2 level, hardening time, encapsulation and emulsion fabrication methods was studied on loading capacity of the hydrogels using a Resolution-V fractional factorial design (2 V5−1 FFD), followed by response surface methodology (RSM). At the optimum point, the in-vitro release of phenolic compounds in simulated gastric and intestinal mediums were 96.02 ± 0.96% and 10.65 ± 1.23% after 180 min, respectively. The Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images demonstrated a relatively smooth surface with small pore size. Based on SEM images and Fourier-transform infrared spectrums, the cumin essential oil was encapsulated successfully in calcium alginate beads. Thus, calcium alginate hydrogel could be introduced as a promising carrier for encapsulating biochemical active compounds with favorable features.