Preparation and characterization of zein electrospun fibers loaded with savory essential oil for fruit preservation

Using electrospun fibers from edible and biodegradable polymers has been a dynamic approach to postharvest technology in the past decade. The current research aimed at making zein electrospun fibers with savory essential oil (SEO) at several concentrations (0 %, 5 %, 10 %, and 20 % w/v) to study the effect of the fibers on the shelf life of tangerine and banana fruits. SEM results indicated that zein electrospun fibers had flat, consistent, and tubular morphology. It is demonstrated that the mean diameter of zein electrospun fibers increased parallel to the increase in SEO concentration. FTIR spectroscopy revealed hydrophobic interactions between SEO and zein. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that at higher concentrations of the SEO, the crystallinity of zein electrospun fibers increased from 67 % to 69 %. Calorimetric findings of differential scanning demonstrated that the Tg of zein electrospun fibers increased from 85.9 ºC to 238.8 ºC. Through the Bernauer-Emmitte-Teller application, the mesoporous condition of electrospun fibers were described. Tensile strength analysis demonstrated that a higher concentration of SEO in the zein mat caused a significant increase in TS, YM, and EB values (p < 0.05). SEO loaded zein electrospun fibers effectively inhibited the growth of E. coli (Gram-negative) and S. aureus (Gram-positive). The SEO loaded zein electrospun fibers affected the storage of banana and tangerine through a storage period of 7 and 28 days, respectively. The results suggested that SEO loaded zein electrospun fibers are suitable for the preservation of tangerine, but are unsuitable for banana. These findings indicated that edible and biodegradable electrospun fibers are effective biopackages for non-climacteric fruits.