title: Fabrication, stability and efficacy of dual-component antimicrobial nanoemulsions: essential oil (thyme oil) and cationic surfactant (lauric arginate).
abstract: The influence of a cationic surfactant (lauric arginate, LAE) on the physical properties and antimicrobial efficacy of thyme oil nanoemulsions was investigated. Nanoemulsions prepared from pure thyme oil were highly unstable due to Ostwald ripening, but they could be stabilized by adding a ripening inhibitor (corn oil) to the oil phase prior to homogenisation. The loading capacity and antimicrobial efficacy of thyme oil nanoemulsions were significantly increased by adding LAE. In the absence of LAE, at least 60 wt% corn oil had to be added to the lipid phase to inhibit Ostwald ripening; but in the presence of 0.1 wt% LAE, only 30 wt% corn oil was needed. LAE addition substantially increased the antimicrobial efficacy of the thyme oil nanoemulsions: 200 μg/ml thyme oil was needed to inhibit growth of a spoilage yeast (Zygosaccharomyces bailii) if LAE was added, whereas ⩾ 400 μg/ml was needed in the absence of LAE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; College of Food Engineering and Nutritional Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McLandsborough
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P. O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: mcclements@foodsci.umass.edu.
authors.forename: David Julian
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: McClements
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004355:Drug Stability; D004655:Emulsions; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D046930:Thymus Plant
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004655:Emulsions; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; C031371:N(alpha)-lauroylarginine ethyl ester; D001120:Arginine
keywords: Antimicrobial; Essential oil; Lauric arginate; Nanoemulsion; Thyme oil