Gelatin/zein fiber mats encapsulated with resveratrol: Kinetics, antibacterial activity and application for pork preservation

Resveratrol (R) has received growing attentions in therapeutic potential, however less focus is paid to its antibacterial or antioxidant nature for food preservation. In this work, R was efficiently encapsulated in electrospun gelatin/zein (GA/ZN) fibers for developing antibacterial mats to extend pork shelf life. The fiber morphology, thermal stability and hydrophobicity of the mats were associated with the ratios of GA/ZN. The secondary structure changes of protein were dependent on the intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed in the fiber matrix. The presence of R endowed the mats with antibacterial and antioxidant activity and the release of R followed Fickian diffusion mechanism in 10% ethanol and the coexistence of diffusion and erosion mechanisms in 3% acetic acid, respectively. The target fiber mats could extend the pork shelf life by 3 d at 4 °C, indicating the good application prospect in food preservation.