A comparative study on stabilizing and releasing thymol by pre-formed V-type starch and β-cyclodextrin

Cyclodextrins (CD) are well known to form host-guest assemblies with hydrophobic compounds. As a structural homologue, starch-guest inclusion complexes (ICs) have become promising in the food, agriculture , and pharmaceutical industries due to their low cost and versatility. This study compared the stabilizing and releasing abilities for thymol of three kinds of pre-formed V-type starch (Water-V, Salt-V, and Alkali-V) and β-CD. The loading efficiency for thymol decreased in the order of Water-V > Alkali-V > CD > Salt-V when removing the free thymol. Water-V, β-CD, and their ICs had better thermal stability with maximum thermal decomposition temperatures over 320 °C. Under non-cold chain daily storage conditions for 4 d, the percentage of thymol released from starch/CD-thymol ICs was 14% (Water-V), 35% (Salt-V), 34% (Alkali-V), and 43% (CD). The Water-V made ICs had good sustained release properties and long-term antibacterial activity , which kept strawberries fresh for 6 d without decay.