Electrospun β-carotene–loaded SPI:PVA fiber mats produced by emulsion-electrospinning as bioactive coatings for food packaging

Abstract

Abstract In this work, emulsion electrospinning was used to develop an active internal coating for food packaging applications. Specifically, the antioxidant molecule β-carotene, was encapsulated in a mixture of soy protein isolate (SPI) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) which was directly electrospun onto a polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHB92/PHV8) film. An annealing treatment was applied to improve the adhesion of the electrospun mat onto the packaging film, which contributed to modulate the release of the active compound. Stable SPI:PVA emulsions (with a 50:50 ratio) were developed using soybean oil (SBO) as carrier of the hydrophobic β-carotene. The encapsulation efficiency of β-carotene in the electrospun SPI:PVA fibers was 65.0 % ± 2.6 %, being 51.4 % ± 0.9 % effectively incorporated into their cores. Finally, the in-vitro release assay of the antioxidant in soybean oil, which simulates fatty foods, demonstrated that the heat treatment (anneling) contributed to a slower and more sustained released of the bioactive compound.