Development of Stable Microemulsions Containing Laurel Essential Oil Using Amylopectin and Gum Arabic as Natural Emulsifiers

This study aimed to develop food-grade microemulsions of laurel essential oil (L-EO) (MEs) stabilized with amylopectin (L-AP) and gum arabic (L-GA) and to determine characteristic properties of the MEs at different pH and temperatures during storage. L-EO was extracted using the microwave-assisted hydrodistillation technique. The prepared ME droplets ranged in size range from 328 to 347 nm in L-AP (pH 6.0) and from 327 to 432 nm in L-GA (pH 3.0). The total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were 170.60 mg/L gallic acid equivalent (GAE) and 0.93 mM Trolox/mL in L-AP, respectively, while total phenolic content was 243.10 mg/L GAE and antioxidant capacity was 1.19 mM Trolox/mL in L-GA. Additionally, the MEs demonstrated relatively potent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus strains. The main volatile compounds of L-EO were identified as 1,8-cineole (33.4%), sabinene (8.4%), and linalool L (6.6%).