Encapsulated essential oils modulate structural and physicochemical properties of dark chocolate

The encapsulation of essential oils (EOs) has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance the functional and structural properties of complex food matrices such as chocolate. This study evaluated the effect of encapsulated EOs from Aloysia citrodora (EAC) and Cymbopogon citratus (ECC) on the physicochemical and sensory properties of dark chocolate. The EOs were encapsulated by freeze-drying using maltodextrin as the wall material and subsequently incorporated into dark chocolate at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 2.5%, with unsupplemented chocolate used as the control. The incorporation of the encapsulated systems significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) affected antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, the profile of phenolic compounds and methylxanthines, as well as the thermal behavior, rheological properties, texture and sensory analysis of the chocolate. Both EAC and ECC exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in hardness, with the EAC-2.5% formulation showing the highest mechanical resistance (76.38 ± 0.32 N). However, the EAC-1.5% (66.40 ± 0.63 N) and ECC-1.5% (67.21 ± 0.87 N) formulations exhibited hardness values comparable to the control (64.49 ± 1.08 N), indicating a balanced textural profile without compromising consumer acceptability. Sensory evaluation revealed that the ECC-1.5% formulation achieved the highest overall acceptability (approximately 6 on a 9-point hedonic scale), reflecting a favorable balance among gloss, snap, aroma, and flavor. Overall, the results demonstrated that incorporating freeze-dried encapsulated EOs effectively preserved bioactive compounds while improving the functional properties of dark chocolate. The ECC-1.5% formulation provided the best balance between structural performance, antioxidant potential, and sensory acceptability, highlighting the potential of this strategy for developing value-added functional chocolates.