Loading of cinnamon essential oil into electrospun octenylsuccinylated starch-pullulan nanofiber mats: Electrospinnability evaluation, structural characterization, and antibacterial potential

Abstract

The application of cinnamaldehyde essential oil (CEO), which is naturally antibacterial, has been limited due to its high volatility and insolubility in water. This issue may be addressed by nanoencapsulation through electrospinning. In this study, octenylsuccinylated starch (OSS) with different molecular structures blended with pullulan (PUL) was developed to load CEO for enhanced antibacterial potential. OSS with a smaller molecular size and a higher degree of substitution is beneficial for the electrospinning of OSS/PUL into high-quality nanofiber mats. The electrospinning process of OSS/PUL aqueous dopes is mainly influenced by moderate apparent viscosity, increased conductivity, and reduced surface tension. CEO loading through physical adsorption significantly changed the fiber microstructure and displayed antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus flavus for electrospun OSS/PUL nanofiber mats. This study demonstrates that electrospun starch-based nanofiber mats with loading of essential oils could hold a potential application in active food packaging and wound dressing.