Natural Products in Favor of Food Safety: Development of Nanoparticles Based on Tea Tree Oil and Corn Starch and Their Potential for Fresh Food Protection

ABSTRACT Nanostructured polymeric systems based on natural resources can carry and improve the stability of natural active substances such as essential oils. Corn starch nanoparticles loaded with tree tea essential oil were prepared, characterized and reported here for the first time. The average hydrodynamic diameter and polydispersity index were determined by dynamic light scattering and the zeta potential by electrophoretic mobility. Encapsulation efficiency was determined by spectroscopy, and the in vitro antimicrobial potential was determined by agar diffusion test. Acerola cherry and grape fruits were coated by immersion into the nanoparticles, dried and kept at room temperature to analyze their behavior. The average hydrodynamic diameter was 232–559 nm, the zeta potential about –22 to –4.25 mV, polydispersity index about 0.5–1.0 and the encapsulation efficiency ranged from 46% to 15%. The highest oil concentration samples showed antifungal potential. The coating test indicated rot protection potential. The results indicated the corn starch essential oil‐based system potential for application in the food industry, as well in other applications that require natural products with antimicrobial potential.