Encapsulation of Antimicrobial Compounds

An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms or stops their growth. Although different strategies such as the use of a protective atmosphere are being developed, the use of antibacterial and/or antifungal substances in food science is increasing because of the need to transport one food product from a country to another. However, these molecules sometimes present solubility or stability problems that make their effective period shorter or give undesirable organoleptic characteristic to the products. Among the possible solutions, their complexation with cyclodextrins (CDs) is a good strategy to prevent any disadvantageous properties. For that reason, a description of the preparation, characteristics and application of antimicrobial complexes is described here. The common techniques to form the complexes are explained and the possible factors which could affect their encapsulation capacity and release properties are also illustrated. Finally, a complete report about possible applications is presented. CDs could be used to (1) increase the solubility of antimicrobials, (2) increase the stability of the same, (3) improve their release and delivery, (4) prevent volatilization, (5) modify their organoleptic properties, (6) extract antimicrobials from their source and (7) analyze their presence in foods. The complexation of these compounds with CDs can be considered a safe and easy alternative for prolonging the shelf-life of food products.