Study on release mechanism of inhibitory components from cinnamon and clove powders

In this study, cinnamon powder and clove powder were successfully prepared using a high‐frequency oscillatory‐type ball mill at 20 ± 1C. The release behavior of inhibitory components (ICs) from powders into anhydrous alcohol was investigated by UV spectrometer. Also the release kinetics was evaluated by fitting the experimental data to standard release equations (zero‐order, first‐order, Higuchi and Ritger–Peppas equation). The results revealed that the release rate of the ICs was much faster from the clove powder than that from the cinnamon powder, which was probably related to the source of plant material, powder particle size, the structure and morphology, the aggregations of ultrafine powders, volatilization, oxidization and total loaded content. Their release profiles were found to be biphasic with a burst release followed by a gradual release phase, and the best fit was found with Ritger–Peppas model for the cinnamon powder and Higuchi model for the clove powder. It proved that the two powders could extend the shelf life of chilled meat because of their release behaviors. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Cinnamon and clove were traditional food spices and were commonly used in the food industry because of their special aroma as well as their antibacterial and antifungal activities. On the other hand, controlled‐release systems using biodegradable polymers were widely used in numerous applications, especially food preservation. However, before carrying out this study, it was unknown whether ultrafine powders of ball‐milled cinnamon and clove can be directly used as controlled delivery systems for food preservation. In the present work, the release behaviors, kinetics and mechanism of ICs from powders were studied, and the antimicrobial activities of powders were determined. This study showed that ultrafine powders of ball‐milled cinnamon and clove would be a promising bacteriostasis and anticorrosion vehicle for food industry because of their controlled‐release behavior.