LAUSR

Abstract Allicin, an organic compound produced via the transformation of biologically inactive alliin by alliinase, an enzyme found in garlic, combines a strong antibacterial effect with suppressed development of bacterial resistance. However, because of the high reactivity and volatility, controlled in-situ production of allicin that mimics the natural synthesis is essential to achieve desired therapeutic effects. In this work, the spray-drying technique was employed for encapsulation of alliinase into polymer micro-carriers with an emphasis on the effect of process parameters, i.e., drying temperature, nozzle type, choice of the carrier materials, on the activity of encapsulated alliinase in soluble maltodextrin and swellable chitosan microparticles. The results show that maltodextrin is a suitable carrier for the effective protection of alliinase against thermal stress. On the other hand, we can control allicin production and release from chitosan carriers with immobilized alliinase by variation of the cross-linker amount. Antibacterial activity of in-situ formed allicin vapors was confirmed against Escherichia coli bacterial strain using customized sample holders preventing physical contact of powder sample with the inoculated agar plate.