Chemical composition, toxicity, microencapsulation, and application of Cinnamomum cassia essential oil in maize flour: evaluating the persistence of aroma and color.

The objective of this study was to assess the chemical composition of cinnamon essential oil (EO) and the toxicity of both the EO and its most abundant component. Additionally, the research aimed to investigate the microencapsulation of EO and evaluate its impact on release profiles and sensory properties, such as aroma persistence and color, in corn flour treated with free and microencapsulated EO before and after thermal treatment. Trans-cinnamaldehyde constituted the primary compound (~86%). Both the EO and trans-cinnamaldehyde exhibited high toxicity against Artemia salina, with lethal doses of 11.05 and 7.21 μg/mL, respectively. The highest microencapsulation efficiency was observed for a solution containing 10% gum arabic, 10% maltodextrin, and 10% EO. Microencapsulation yielded stable particles for future applications. Aroma persistence analysis of free and microencapsulated EO in corn flour revealed a reduction in aroma detection after thermal treatment. Regarding the flour color, the effect of thermal treatment was less pronounced on microencapsulated EO compared to free EO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]