Cocoa butter and cocoa butter substitute as a lipid carrier of Cuminum cyminum L. essential oil; physicochemical properties, physical stability and controlled release study

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to encapsulate of the essential oil of Cuminum cyminum L. with cocoa butter (CB) and cocoa butter substitute (CBS) as lipid carriers in order to overcome the low solubility of the essential oil in water, to increase its bioavailability and to protect of essential oil in the environmental conditions. The nano lipid carrier containing Cuminum cyminum essential oil (NLC) was prepared by homogenization assisted with sonication method. Physicochemical properties including particle size and polydispersity index (PDI), encapsulation efficiency, turbidity and zeta potential and antioxidant activity of the system were studied. The release of essential oil in the simulated condition of the gastric and intestinal was examined. The results showed that all lipid carrier formulations containing Cuminum cyminum essential oil had very small particle size (less than 150 nm) and their encapsulation efficiency was greater than 80%. The zeta potential of the lipid carrier was changed from −9 to −4.4 (mV) with the addition of Cuminum cyminum essential oil. The stability of the nano carriers during one month showed that the particle size of the samples was less than 150 nm over time. The physical properties of the coated essential oil did not decrease significantly in 30 days while the uncoated essential oil physical properties were reduced significantly. The results showed that the encapsulation of essential oil with lipid coatings causes controlled release of essential oil in the gastrointestinal tract. It can be concluded that the nano lipid carrier containing Cuminum cyminum essential oil can be used in foods, especially beverages.