Preparation and characterization of clove essential oil chitosome and their potential as preservatives for chilled marinated steak.

Abstract

Chilled marinated steaks are susceptible to potential microbiological contamination at the slaughter and production stages, making the product highly susceptible to spoilage. In the present study, clove essential oil liposome (CEL) and chitosan-coated liposomes (chitosomes) were fabricated to preserve chilled marinated steaks. The results indicated that chitosan-coated CEL with a concentration of 0.2% (0.2 CS-CEL) exhibited the highest system stability. At this optimal concentration, the particle size was 369.7 nm, the zeta potential was 39.64 mV and the polydispersity index (PDI) was 0.56. The CEL maintained a morphologically intact and well-defined structure, whereas the chitosan coating formed a network without altering the spherical shape of the CEL. Characteristic peaks associated with phenolic hydroxyl groups of essential oils were detected in both 0.2 CS-CEL and CEL spectra, confirming the successful encapsulation of essential oils. Chitosan coating increased the main phase transition temperature of CEL from 225 to 250 °C, significantly enhancing its thermal stability. In vitro release experiments revealed that both liposomes and chitosomes followed a Fickian release pattern for essential oil. Chitosan coating extended the slow release of essential oil, with only 65.03% released after 24 h. Remarkably, 0.2 CS-CEL effectively inhibited all microbial flora on the steaks, extending their shelf life from 2 to 4 days compared to CEL, which only significantly inhibited non-dominant flora. These findings collectively suggest that liposomes, particularly chitosan-coated liposomes, hold considerable potential for developing novel preservative solutions for chilled marinated foods, providing an alternative to synthetic preservatives. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.