Abstract:Cinnamaldehyde is volatile, sensitive to light and heat, and poorly soluble in water. Gelatin, as a protein, can be used as gel filling to improve the stability of cinnamaldehyde, thus expanding its range of applications. In this study, cinnamaldehyde was prepared into oil in water emulsion, which was then processed into liquid-core gel beads through ion exchange reaction. The effects of gelatin mass concentration on the cinnamaldehyde liquid-core gel beads were analyzed in terms of apparent viscosity, particle size distribution, zeta potential, and other factors. The results showed that a small addition of gelatin reduced the apparent viscosity of the composite coagulation bath, increased the particle size of the gel beads, and enhances their stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that a three-dimensional spiral structure formed between gelatin and sodium alginate, which could regulate the release of cinnamaldehyde. When the mass concentration of gelatin was 10 g/L, the cinnamaldehyde liquid-core gel beads were highly stable, with the release amount within 9 d being only 15% of that in the group without gelatin.
