Preparation of quercetin microcapsules with bovine serum albumin-arabinoxylan cold-set gels as wall material and its application in beef preservation

The aim of this study was to develop microencapsulated freshness preservatives loaded with quercetin based on bovine serum albumin (BSA)-arabinoxylan (AX) cold-set gels, which were induced by glucono-δ-lactone (GDL), NaCl, and laccase, and to evaluate their freshness preservation effect on beef. Results showed that the GDL-laccase-NaCl condition achieved the highest quercetin encapsulation rate (88.98 %) and free radical scavenging rate (94.08 %), with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 3.125 mg/mL against <i>Brochothrix thermosphacta</i>. FT-IR and XRD structural characterization also demonstrated that the quercetin and the wall material connected by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. When applied to beef preservation at 1.5 % of meat weight, the microcapsules effectively delayed pH increase, inhibited oxidation, and reduced microbial growth. In addition, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla, and the proportion of spoilage microorganisms was reduced. These findings highlight the potential of BSA-AX gels as quercetin carriers for beef preservation.