Academic Journal
Modified chitosan micelles improving physical stability, sustained release, and antibacterial activity of fir essential oil: performance optimization and mechanistic insights.
| Title: | Modified chitosan micelles improving physical stability, sustained release, and antibacterial activity of fir essential oil: performance optimization and mechanistic insights. |
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| Authors: | Lu Y; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China., Yin Q; College of Architecture and Construction, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China., Li X; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China; Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Utilization of Woody Oil Resource, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. Electronic address: t19850168@csuft.edu.cn., Zhou J; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China; Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Utilization of Woody Oil Resource, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China., Yang Y; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China., Fu B; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China., Wang Y; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China. |
| Source: | Food chemistry [Food Chem] 2026 Aug 15; Vol. 520, pp. 149687. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 May 20. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 7702639 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-7072 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 03088146 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Food Chem Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Barking : Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Original Publication: Barking, Eng., Applied Science Publishers. |
| MeSH Terms: | Chitosan*/chemistry , Oils, Volatile*/chemistry , Oils, Volatile*/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents*/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents*/pharmacology, Delayed-Action Preparations/chemistry ; Delayed-Action Preparations/pharmacology ; Drug Carriers/chemistry ; Micelles ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Particle Size ; Polyesters |
| Abstract: | To meet consumer demand for the application of natural ingredients such as essential oils in food systems, this study developed a chitosan-g-poly(lactic acid) (CS-g-PLA) micellar system for fir essential oil (FEO) delivery. The research focused on investigating the regulatory effects of PLA side-chain parameters on micellar properties. Results demonstrated that increasing parameters enhanced hydrophobic interactions, forming compact micelles with a minimal particle size (229.7 nm) and critical micelle concentration (0.012 mg/mL). The hydrophobic core enabled efficient FEO loading (30.99%) with stable sustained release. FEO@CS-g-PLA micelles also showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity by disrupting cell membranes. Molecular dynamics simulations visualized the self-assembly of CS-g-PLA and the FEO loading process, providing theoretical support for experimental observations. In summary, this work offers microscopic insights into the micellization of modified CS-g-PLA and FEO loading mechanisms, providing a feasible strategy for applying essential oils in food preservation. (Copyright © 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Antibacterial activity; Chitosan-based micelle; Fir essential oil; Hydrophobic side chain; Molecular dynamic |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 9012-76-4 (Chitosan) 0 (Oils, Volatile) 0 (Anti-Bacterial Agents) 0 (Micelles) 0 (Delayed-Action Preparations) 459TN2L5F5 (poly(lactide)) 0 (Drug Carriers) 0 (Polyesters) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260527 Date Completed: 20260613 Latest Revision: 20260613 |
| Update Code: | 20260613 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.149687 |
| PMID: | 42202411 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1873-7072 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.149687 |