ABSTRACT
The inclusion complex (IC) was successfully obtained by encapsulating glycerol monolaurate (GML) into the cavity of hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD). Compared with solubility of pure GML <80 µg/mL in water, and the water-solubility of encapsulated GML was significantly improved and reached to 270,000 µg/mL. IC can form nanoparticles by self-assembly, probably assigned to its strong capability to form micellar-type aggregates. A Higuchi's AL-type phase-solubility diagram indicated the strong interaction between host and guest molecules with the formation of 1:1 GML/HP-ß-CD complex and the stability constant at 6248 L/mol. Compared with pure GML, encapsulated GML at the same concentration can also show good antibacterial capabilities against S. aureus and E. coli in sterile water, and the effective preservative capabilities towards beef meatballs. The boosted enhancement in water-solubility of GML and the effective antibacterial capabilities endowed IC with potential in the application of food decontamination.