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In this study, star anise (Illicium verum) essential oils (SAEOs) were extracted by hydrodistillation (HD), ethanol solvent extraction (ESE), supercritical CO2 (SCD) and subcritical extraction (SE) via electronic nose (E-nose), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and GC-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). GC-MS and GC-IMS were used to identify the volatile compounds, and GC-MS was also used to determine their concentrations. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were used to visualise volatile compounds and differentiate samples. The results showed that anethole and limonene were the main volatile compounds in SAEOs extracted using the four methods and their components were similar, albeit in different proportions. In addition, the fingerprints of their volatile components were established via E-nose and GC-IMS analyses. In general, GC-MS, GC-IMS, and E-nose combined with PCA and LDA analysis could accurately distinguish SAEOs extracted using different extraction methods, and GC-IMS was identified as the most suitable method because of its accuracy and rapidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils (EOs) have good natural antioxidant and antimicrobial properties; however, their volatility, intense aroma, poor aqueous solubility, and chemical instability limit their applications in the food industry. The encapsulation of EOs in β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) is a widely accepted strategy for enhancing EO applications. The complexation of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) with five types of β-CDs, containing different substituent groups (β-CD with primary hydroxyl, Mal-β-CD with maltosyl, CM-β-CD with carboxymethyl, HP-β-CD with hydroxypropyl, and DM-β-CD with methyl), inclusion process behaviors, volatile components, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the solid complexes were studied. The CEOs complexed with Mal-β-CD, CM-β-CD, and β-CD were less soluble than those complexed with DM-β-CD and HP-β-CD. Molecular docking confirmed the insertion of the cinnamaldehyde benzene ring into various β-CD cavities via hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. GC-MS analysis revealed that HP-β-CD had the greatest adaptability to cinnamaldehyde. The CEO encapsulated in β-, Mal-β-, and CM-β-CD showed lower solubility but better control-release characteristics than those encapsulated in DM- and HP-β-CD, thereby increasing their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. This study demonstrated that β-, Mal-β-, and CM-β-CD were suitable alternatives for the encapsulation of CEO to preserve its antioxidant and antibacterial activities for long-time use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]