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Microencapsulation by Complex Coacervation of Lavender Oil Obtained by Steam Distillation at Semi-Industrial Scale
István Székely-Szentmiklósi1, Emőke Margit Rédai2, Zoltán-István Szabó1
1Department of Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Management, Specialty Pharmaceutical Sciences, "George Emil Palade" University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 28, 2024
Summary
This study successfully microencapsulated high-quality lavender oil using complex coacervation. The resulting microcapsules preserved the oil
Area of Science:
- Essential oil chemistry
- Materials science
- Food science
Background:
- Lavender oil (LEO) is globally recognized for its use in aromatherapy, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
- Quality standards are crucial for LEO due to its diverse applications.
- Microencapsulation is an advanced technique for preserving essential oils and enabling new applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To produce microcapsules (MCs) of lavender oil using complex coacervation.
- To evaluate the impact of different gelatin grades on microencapsulation efficiency and particle characteristics.
- To confirm the integrity of lavender oil components after microencapsulation.
Main Methods:
- Steam distillation was used to obtain lavender oil from Lavandula angustifolia.
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analyzed oil quality and encapsulated components.
- Complex coacervation using gum arabic (GA) and type-A gelatin (GE) was employed for microencapsulation.
- Optical microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) characterized microcapsule particle size and morphology.
- UV-VIS spectrophotometry determined encapsulation efficiency.
- Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed structural changes.
Main Results:
- Lavender oil met European Pharmacopoeia standards for linalyl acetate (≈38%) and linalool (≈26%).
- Microcapsules were successfully produced, with particle size varying significantly based on the gelatin grade used.
- The highest encapsulation efficiency was achieved with medium gel strength gelatin.
- FT-IR spectra indicated structural modifications due to microencapsulation.
- GC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of characteristic lavender oil components in the freeze-dried microcapsules.
Conclusions:
- Complex coacervation is effective for microencapsulating high-quality lavender oil.
- Gelatin grade significantly influences microcapsule properties and encapsulation efficiency.
- Microencapsulation preserves the chemical integrity of lavender oil components.
