Exploiting self-assembled soft systems based on surfactants, biopolymers and their mixtures for inhibition of Citral degradation under harsh acidic Conditions

• Published in: Food chemistry 2021-03, Vol.340, p.128168-128168, Article 128168
• Main Authors: Bhat, Parvaiz Ahmad, Nazir, Nighat, Chat, Oyais Ahmad, Dar, Aijaz Ahmad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acyclic Monoterpenes - chemistry; Biopolymers - chemistry; Chitosan; Chitosan - chemistry; Citral; Half-life; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kinetics; Micelle; Monoterpenes - chemistry; P123; Surface-Active Agents - chemistry; Temperature
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128168

•Citral degradation is investigated in micellar/gel systems at 25 °C and pH 1.0.•Citral stability boosts with micellar oxyethylene content/positive charge density.•Biocompatible/ biodegradable P123-chitosan enhanced remarkably half-life of citral.•P123-chitosan exhibited gel nature which also contributed to stabilize citral. The chemical instability of Citral in acidic conditions is viewed as hurdle to commercialize it in food/beverage industries. We attempted to stabilize citral in various single and mixed surfactant systems at pH 1.0 and temperature 25 °C. The study highlights the importance of amount and density of positive charge of cationic surfactants and oxyethylene content of nonionic surfactants at the interface of self-assembly in inhibiting citral degradation. The hybrid of Chitosan and P123 showed a significant increase in the half-life of citral compared to that in its individual components. The results of the study suggest that it is possible to stabilize citral in strong acidic environs having a pH as low as 1.0 using mixed surfactant or polymer-amphiphile systems with significant positive charge/number of oxyethylene in their single components. Such polymer-surfactant systems formulations if biocompatible/food grade may act as promising media to enhance shelf life of citral.