Preparing Pickering Emulsion of Canthaxanthin and Stabilization with Cellulose Nanocrystals

The aim of this study was to prepare an ultra-stable emulsion for canthaxanthin with cellulose nanocrystals and investigating its physiochemical properties. Canthaxanthin used in this study was a metabolite of Dietzia natronolimnaea HS-1. Cellulosic nanocrystals (CNCs) of cotton linter were made and characterized using acid hydrolysis. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) alongside Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) represented needle-like particles with length of 212±11 and thickness of 5±2. The crystallinity degree of CNC for cotton linter increased from (76.4%) to (86.6%). FTIR (ATR) spectroscopy suggested more surface hydroxyl groups for CNCs than native cellulose and complete digestion of hemicelluloses by acid. Pickering emulsions of oil in water were prepared using an ultrasonic homogenizer. The results of the morphological tests indicated a sample with the same particle dispersion. Results indicated that generated emulsions represent promising stability in different environmental conditions for a long period of time.