Ionic crosslinking encapsulation of grapefruit essential oil by chitosan: Process optimization, characterization, and application in hairtail preservation

Xiaoxiao Guo; Mengshi Chen; Hua Wang; Haoyun Deng; Bin Zhang; Shanggui Deng; Wanyu Zhang; Jing Chen

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145597

Ionic crosslinking encapsulation of grapefruit essential oil by chitosan: Process optimization, characterization, and application in hairtail preservation

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jun 26:145597. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145597. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Xiaoxiao Guo¹, Mengshi Chen¹, Hua Wang¹, Haoyun Deng¹, Bin Zhang², Shanggui Deng², Wanyu Zhang¹, Jing Chen³

Affiliations

¹ College of Food and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China.
² College of Food and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China; Key Laboratory of Health Risk Factors for Seafood of Zhejiang Province, Zhoushan 316022, China.
³ College of Food and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China; Key Laboratory of Health Risk Factors for Seafood of Zhejiang Province, Zhoushan 316022, China. Electronic address: chenjing1979@126.com.

PMID: 40581017
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145597

Abstract

Hairtail (Trichiurus haumela) is prone to spoilage due to lipid oxidation and microbial activity during cold storage, necessitating the development of new preservatives to maintain their quality. In this study, grapefruit essential oil microcapsules (GEOs) were prepared by ionic crosslinking of chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate. The optimal GEOs preparation parameters were established through sequential single-factor experiments followed by response surface methodology. Researchers systematically characterized GEOs and assessed their efficacy in prolonging the shelf life of refrigerated hairtail. Results indicated that GEOs exhibited an irregular spherical morphology with a porous, rough surface. Encapsulation improved thermal stability and conferred potent antioxidant and antibacterial activity. The storage stability of GEOs at 4 °C was superior to that at 25 °C, and the release amount did not exceed 50 % after 300 mins of exposure to anhydrous ethanol. Experimental results demonstrated that GEOs effectively prolonged hairtail shelf-life, validating their potential as an effective seafood preservative.

Keywords: Characterization; Ionic crosslinking; Microcapsule.