Encapsulation of cinnamon essential oil in electrospun nanofibrous film for active food packaging

Electrospun polyvinyl alcohol/cinnamon essential oil/β-cyclodextrin (PVA/CEO/β-CD) antimicrobial nanofibrous film with average diameter 240 ± 40 nm was successfully fabricated under the optimal conditions. The data of attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that CEO was encapsulated into β-CD cavity and there existed molecular interaction among PVA, CEO and β-CD, which enhanced the thermal stability of CEO. Water contact angle analysis showed that addition of CEO/β-CD made the nanofibrous film more hydrophilic. The PVA/CEO/β-CD nanofibrous film exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity, and its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was approximate 0.9–1 mg/mL (corresponding CEO concentration 8.9–9.9 μg/mL) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was approximate 7–8 mg/mL (corresponding CEO concentration 69.3–79.2 μg/mL). Furthermore, the mild electrospinning process was favorable for maintaining greater CEO in the film resulting in an improved antimicrobial activity compared with that of casting film. In addition, the PVA/CEO/β-CD nanofibrous film can effectively prolong the shelf-life of strawberry, indicating it is potential for the application in active food packaging.