Co‐Encapsulation of Purslane Seed Oil and Tarragon Essential Oil and Investigating the Use of It as a Natural Preservative and Functional Compound in Burger Formulation

ABSTRACT The study aimed to evaluate the application of purslane seed oil–tarragon essential oil (PO–TE) nanocapsules as natural preservatives and functional elements in beef burger production. The nanocapsules were created by combining different amounts of gum arabic (GA) with whey protein isolate (WPI) to achieve desired emulsifying and film‐forming and oxidative protection effects from polysaccharide–protein biopolymer systems. Among the tested formulations (GA0:WPI1, GA1:WPI0, GA3:WPI1, GA1:WPI1, and GA1:WPI3), the selected nanocapsule was partially substituted for fat in burger formulations at levels of 0%, 0.9%, 1.8%, and 2.7%, and product quality was evaluated during 12 days of refrigerated storage. The GA3:WPI1 nanocapsule showed excellent physicochemical stability through its −33.0 mV zeta potential and strong antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging activity, 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl assay) and high encapsulation efficiency. The study revealed that adding PO–TE nanocapsules to burgers enhanced their oxidative stability and decreased both lipid oxidation markers and microbial growth rates at various concentrations ( p < 0.05). The nanocapsules prevented negative changes in pH and total volatile base nitrogen and color and texture and sensory attributes during storage while decreasing cooking loss. The use of PO–TE nanocapsules in burgers resulted in an increased amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids which caused a nutritional transformation that decreased the amount of saturated fatty acids. Overall, the results demonstrate that PO–TE nanocapsules represent a promising formulation strategy for developing clean‐label meat products with improved shelf life, nutritional value, and functional performance.