Multifunctional electrospun nanofibrous film integrated with cinnamon essential oil emulsion stabilized by dealkali lignin for active packaging material

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces. A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects Physicochemical and engineering aspects, 2025-01, Vol.704, p.135467, Article 135467
• Main Authors: Li, Na, Xiang, Hong-jia, Hu, Teng-gen, Qiu, Wei-peng, Hong, Yu-xuan, Huang, Kai-wen, Wei, Xiao-qun, Guo, Chuang-zong, Yao, Xu-rui, Wang, Hong, Wen, Peng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibacterial; Antioxidant; Cinnamon essential oil; Dealkali lignin; Emulsion electrospinning
• ISSN: 0927-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2024.135467

Cinnamon essential oil (CEO) has good antibacterial properties, but its volatility, hydrophobicity and bad odor limit its use in food preservation. In this study, a dealkali lignin (DAL) stabilized emulsion loaded with CEO was encapsulated into poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and zein using an emulsion electrospinning technique. With the existence of DAL, the PVA/zein/DAL/CEO nanofibrous film (PVA/zein/DAL/CEO NF) exhibited good antioxidant properties. Moreover, higher antibacterial activity was achieved owing to the nanosized structure and enhanced stability compared to DAL/CEO emulsion and pure CEO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed uniformly produced PVA/zein/DAL/CEO NF with an average diameter of 295 nm. The interactions among the nanofibrous film's components were confirmed using attenuated total internal reflectance fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The nanofibrous film demonstrated a low water vapor permeability (WVP) of 5.07 mm∙g/(m2∙h∙kPa), which was beneficial for reducing moisture transfer from the external environment to the interior of the packaging. Additionally, the PVA/zein/DAL/CEO NF also exhibited a marked enhancement in antioxidant activity, neutralizing 94.54 % of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. The nanofibrous film also demonstrated potent antibacterial effects, with inhibition zones measuring 19.47 mm for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and 30.37 mm for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), respectively. This study provided a reference for preparing a multifunctional electrospun nanofibrous film integrated with CEO as an active packaging material. [Display omitted] •Encapsulation of CEO in PVA and zein via DAL-stabilized emulsion electrospinning.•Demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus.•PVA/zein/DAL/CEO NF as a novel option for next-generation packaging design.