Cinnamon Oil Nano-Droplets: Making and Testing Their Anti-Spoilage Powers

Greg Howard
24th January, 2024

Cinnamon Oil Nano-Droplets: Making and Testing Their Anti-Spoilage Powers

Cinnamon Essential Oil

Spoilage in food, particularly fish, is a significant economic and health concern. Bacteria play a key role in this process, and some bacteria are particularly problematic because they form biofilms – communities of microorganisms encased in a protective matrix, making them resistant to cleaning and disinfectants. Serratia rubidaea is one such bacterium, identified as a cause of spoilage in emperor fish. Finding effective ways to combat these biofilms is crucial for extending shelf life and ensuring food safety. Researchers at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University have investigated a novel approach to tackling this problem: using nanoemulsions of cinnamon essential oil (CEONE)[1]. Cinnamon essential oil (CEO) has long been recognised for its antibacterial properties[2], but its use in water-based foods is limited because it doesn’t mix well with water and can degrade over time. Nanoemulsions offer a solution to these challenges. A nanoemulsion is essentially a mixture of oil and water, where tiny droplets of oil (in this case, cinnamon essential oil) are dispersed throughout the water. These droplets are incredibly small – measured in nanometers (billionths of a meter) – and this small size improves stability and allows for better distribution within a food product. The study focused on creating a stable CEONE using a method called spontaneous emulsification, which relies on carefully controlling the interface between the oil and water phases and using a surfactant, Tween 20, to prevent the droplets from clumping together. The researchers found that the optimal conditions for creating a stable CEONE were a rotation speed of 750 rpm and a specific concentration ratio of 1:3. The resulting CEONE had an average droplet size of 204.8 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.115 (indicating a relatively uniform size distribution), and a zeta potential of -6.05 mV (a measure of the electrical charge on the droplets, which contributes to stability). To understand how CEONE works, the researchers analysed its chemical composition using techniques like FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) and HR-LCMS (high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry). These analyses revealed the presence of key phytochemical functional groups – carboxyl, carbonyl, and phenol-like groups – in both the CEO and CEONE, which are believed to be responsible for the antibacterial and antibiofilm effects. These findings align with previous research demonstrating the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of cinnamon essential oil, largely attributed to the presence of cinnamaldehyde[2]. The study then tested the CEONE’s ability to inhibit the growth of S. rubidaea and disrupt its biofilm formation. The results showed that CEONE was effective against the bacteria, demonstrating both antibacterial and antibiofilm properties. This builds on earlier work showing that nanoemulsions can enhance the effectiveness of essential oils[3], and that cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsions can improve the properties of films used in food packaging[4]. Specifically,[4] demonstrated that nanoemulsions of cinnamon essential oil resulted in denser, more uniform film structures and improved antifungal properties compared to macroemulsions. The spontaneous emulsification technique used in this study offers a relatively simple and efficient method for producing CEONE. The stability of the nanoemulsion is crucial, as it ensures that the cinnamon essential oil remains dispersed and active over time. The identified droplet size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential values indicate a well-formed and stable nanoemulsion. The presence of the identified phytochemicals further supports the mechanism of action, explaining the observed antibacterial and antibiofilm effects.

HealthBiotechBiochem

References

Main Study

1) Spontaneous nanoemulsification of cinnamon essential oil: Formulation, characterization, and antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against fish spoilage caused by Serratia rubidaea BFMO8.

Published 22nd January, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1002/bab.2555

Related Studies

2) Bioanalytical evaluation of Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2014.1002088

3) Developing three-component ginger-cinnamon-cardamom composite essential oil nanoemulsion as natural food preservatives.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.112133

4) The effect of Macro and Nano-emulsions of cinnamon essential oil on the properties of edible active films.

https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1946


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