Cross-linked gluten/zein nanofibers via Maillard reaction with the loading of star anise essential oil/β-cyclodextrin inclusions for food-active packaging

As an antimicrobial and antioxidant, Star anise essential oil (SAEO) was recognized as a promising active component for food active packaging. However, the poor solubility, physical and chemical instability limited the direct application of SAEO in food packaging. Given to this, gluten/zein nanofibers with different SAEO/β-CD inclusions loading rate were prepared by electrospinning, and further crosslinked by xylose via Maillard reaction. When the loading rate of SAEO/β-CD inclusions increased from 0 % to 33 %, the corresponding nanofibers diameter was enhanced from 584 nm to 998 nm. Maillard reaction enhanced the thermal stability, moisture stability, and mechanical strength for forming robust structures by entanglements between nanofibers. Besides, the release experiment revealed a sustainable release behavior of SAEO for nanofibers within 72 h. Furthermore, the radical scavenging activity of nanofibers reached to 77.1 % and 81.6 % within 24 h and 72 h, respectively, suggesting an excellent sustaining antioxidant activity. Notably, the obtained SAEO/β-CD inclusions loaded nanofibers also showed a remarkable antimicrobial efficiency against both E. coli and S. aureus., exhibiting a promising application potential in food active packaging.