Loading ferulic acid into β-cyclodextrin nanosponges; antibacterial activity, controlled release and application in pomegranate juice as a copigment agent

Abstract

Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural antioxidant with antimicrobial activity and its application is restricted due to poor water solubility. To overcome this limitation, FA was entrapped into cyclodextrin nanosponges (CD-NSs). The antibacterial activity of FA was assessed using the microdilution method which showed a higher antibacterial activity after encapsulation. A controlled release of FA was observed in simulated gastrointestinal environment and food simulants. Furthermore, the application of FA-loaded nanosponges (FA-NS) was investigated in pomegranate juice (PJ). Anthocyanins are the main phenolic compounds of PJ that are sensitive to different environmental conditions. Copigmentation of anthocyanins with other phenolic acids can help to improve their stabilization. The antioxidant activity and phenolic content of all PJ samples (free PJ and PJ containing pure FA and FA-NS) were enhanced during storage while the anthocyanin content of all PJ samples was lessened during the storage. However, the samples containing FA-NS compared to the other samples could better preserve the anthocyanin content. Enhanced solubility of FA after incorporation into CD-NSs can induce higher interaction of FA with other components in PJ and improve their stability to preserve during the storage. These results may pave the way for the application of FA-NS as a copigment agent in juices containing anthocyanins to improve their stability during storage. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.