Nerolidol/hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complex nanofibers: Active food packaging for effective strawberry preservation

The development of bio-based active food packaging is urgently needed to address food safety concerns. In this study, nerolidol/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex nanofibers (Nerolidol/HPβCD-IC-NF) were prepared by electrospinning to improve the thermal stability and water solubility of natural antimicrobial nerolidol. Structural characterization (FTIR, XRD, ¹H NMR) confirmed successful nerolidol encapsulation within HPβCD cavities. The resulting bead-free nanofibers exhibited high surface area and porosity. Nerolidol/HPβCD-IC-NF demonstrated a 3.3-fold increase in free radical scavenging capacity compared to free nerolidol, along with potent antimicrobial activity (88.1 % and 76.0 % inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively). In strawberry preservation trials, nanofiber membranes reduced B. cinerea lesion diameters by 5.56-fold after 5 days compared to untreated controls, significantly extending shelf life. These findings highlight Nerolidol/HPβCD-IC-NF as a promising solution for preventing microbial contamination and improving food preservation efficacy in active packaging applications.