BACKGROUND: Zanthoxylum bungeanum essential oil (ZBEO) is a popular seasoning, commonly used in the food industry. It contains many easily degraded and highly volatile bioactive substances. Control of the stability of the bioactive substances in ZBEO is therefore very important in the food industry.RESULTS: In this study, microencapsulation was applied to improve ZBEO stability. The key parameters for microcapsule preparation were optimized by the Box-Behnken design method, and the optimum conditions were as follows: ratio of core to wall, 1:8; ratio of hydroxypropyl-⊍-cyclodextrin (HPCD) to soy protein isolate (SPI), 4; total solids content, 12%; and homogenization speed, 12 000 rpm. Antioxidant experiments have indicated that tea polyphenols (TPPs) effectively inhibited hydroxy-⊍-sanshool degradation in ZBEO microcapsules. Application of ZBEO microcapsules in Chinese-style sausage effectively inhibited lipid oxidation in sausages and protected hydroxy-⊍-sanshool and typical volatiles from volatilization and degradation during sausage storage. CONCLUSION:The results suggested that ZBEO microencapsulation is an effective strategy for improving the stability of its bioactive components and flavor ingredients during food processing.