The Use of Zein and Arabic Gum to Produce Cinnamon Bark Oil-Loaded Pickering Emulsion with Improved Stability, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Properties

Cinnamon bark oil (CBO) is a natural plant bioactive molecule with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities because of its chemical instability and poor solubility in water, which limits its industrial applications. Herein, CBO-loaded Pickering emulsion was produced using zein, the stabilizer, and arabic gum (AG) was used to modify the emulsifying ability of CBO. The stability, chromatic aberration, pH, particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta (zeta) potential of the CBO-loaded Pickering emulsion were investigated. The results showed that the Zein-AG-CBO Pickering emulsion exhibited better stability at an added AG concentration of 0.8% (w/v) than the free CBO. The CBO-loaded Pickering emulsion retained its antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity and exhibited higher functional potential than the free CBO. The findings demonstrated the potential of Zein-0.8%AG-CBO Pickering emulsion as a kind of promising alternative for the delivery of antimicrobial essential oils in the food, active packaging material, and other related industries.