Fabrication, characterization, and bioactivity assessment of chitosan nanoemulsion containing allspice essential oil to mitigate Aspergillus flavus contamination and aflatoxin B1 production in maize

The direct incorporation of essential oils (EOs) into real food system faces numerous challenges due to high volatility, intense aroma, and instability. This research aimed to enhance the stability and bio-efficacy of Pimenta dioica essential oil (PDEO) through encapsulation in chitosan (CN) nanoemulsion. The nanoemulsion (CN-PDEO) was fabricated through ionic-gelation technique. CN-PDEO exhibited high nanoencapsulation efficiency (85.84%) and loading capacity (8.26%) with the particle size ranging between 18.53 and 70.56 nm. Bio-efficacy assessment results showed that CN-PDEO presented more effective antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activity against Aspergillus flavus (AF-LHP-VS8) at lower doses (1.6 and 1.0 mu L/mL) than the pure PDEO (2.5 and 1.5 mu L/mL, respectively, p < 0.05). Additionally, CN-PDEO preserved model food (maize) from aflatoxin B-1 and lipid peroxidation without altering their sensory properties during storage with high safety profile (p < 0.05). Overall results concluded that CN-PDEO can be recommended for shelf-life extension of stored maize and other food commodities.