Essential oils (EOs) are gaining greatinterest as alternatives for harmful synthetic food preservatives. Due
to their volatile nature, they could be applied in food packaging to improve food quality and extend shelflife.
To provide long-term effects of EOs by increasing their retention and ensuring controlled release
of their components, they could be encapsulated in cyclodextrins (CDs). Herein, the ability of six CDs
to retain nine EOs and to bind their individual components was investigated. Retention capacities and
binding abilities of CDs were assessed by static headspace-gas chromatography (SH-GC) using a new
validated “rapid method”. The ability of CDs to generate controlled release systems was examined by
multiple headspace extraction (MHE). Finally, radical scavenging activity of free and encapsulated EOs
was evaluated. The highest retention capacity toward the studied EOs was obtained for -CD and its
derivatives (69–78%). Also, -CD and its derivatives showed, with one exception, the highest Kf values for
allthe studied guests.In addition, encapsulation in CDs reduced the releasing rate of EO components (from
1.43 to 2.43-fold for -CD/Satureja montana EO used as a model). Furthermore, the inclusion complexes
showed higher ABTS•+ scavenging capacity than the free EOs. Results confirmed the usefulness of CDs
as encapsulant for EOs and should encourage their application in food and as part of active packaging
systems.
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