Encapsulation of Citral by Sodium Carboxymethyl Starch and Sodium Caseinate: Antibacterial Activity Characterization and Evaluation

Citral exhibits favorable broad-spectrum antibacterial activity; however, it is prone to oxidative degradation or structural changes. To improve its stability and practical applicability, citral-loaded microcapsules were prepared using sodium carboxymethyl starch (CMS) and sodium caseinate (CS) via emulsification and freeze-drying. We then investigated the effects of the CMS-to-CS mass ratio on the physicochemical properties and microstructure of the microcapsules, and systematically evaluated t