Ethyl cellulose aqueous dispersions: A fascinating supporter for increasing the solubility and sustained-release of cinnamaldehyde

In order to increase the solubility, stability, and availability of cinnamaldehyde which was widely used in food industry, ethyl cellulose aqueous dispersions encapsulated cinnamaldehyde had been prepared by using an anti-solvent induced method. The particles size of the obtained aqueous dispersions was in the range of 150–200 nm, and it increased slightly with the increasing concentrations of the precursor solution. The prepared dispersions after being dried at ambient conditions had the ability to form a free-standing film, and the film had denser structure and smooth surface. Moreover, the ethyl cellulose dispersions had powerful encapsulation ability to cinnamaldehyde, and the encapsulated cinnamaldehyde could be sustained released, it could prolong the storage time of fresh pork samples for more than 6 days, and an excellent antimicrobial property for food spoilage was observed. It indicated that the prepared dispersions could be a fascinating supporter for increasing the stability and sustained-release of cinnamaldehyde. Practical applications: In this work, the ethyl cellulose aqueous dispersions encapsulating with cinnamaldehyde had good stability, and the sustained released of cinnamaldehyde could effectively inhibit the growth of spoilage organism for a long time, which indicated that aqueous dispersions system had potential applications for food preservation.