Table 2.

Advantages and disadvantages of the spray-drying process for producing stable and functional plant antimicrobial powders.

Plant Antimicrobial	Spray Drying Inlet Temperature (°C)	Protective Matrix	Microbial Targets	Advantages	Disadvantages	Data from Ref.
Eugenol and thymol	105	Zein/casein	E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes Scott A	Good dispersion in water and good stability during storage	not reported	[223]
Eugenol	180	Whey protein/maltodextrin/chitosan	E. coli, L. innocua	High encapsulation efficiency and thermal stability	Chitosan inclusion negatively affects thermal stability, releasing and antimicrobial properties of the powder	[224]
Carvacrol	100–190	Pectin/sodium alginate	E. coli K12	Better thermal stability	High inlet temperature affects dissolution time and hygroscopicity	[225]
Oregano EO	100	Whey protein/maltodextrin	E. coli, S. aureus	Low residence time, high yield, low inlet temperature	Low throughput, extended processing hours, high production cost	[226]
Green tea extract	150	Maltodextrin	-	High thermal stability and reduced weight loss	not reported	[227]