Abstract
Essential oils prevent superbug formation, which is mainly caused by the continuous use of synthetic drugs. This is a significant threat to health, the environment, and food safety. Plant extracts in the form of essential oils are good enough to destroy pests and fight bacterial infections in animals and humans. In this review article, different essential oils containing polymeric nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning are reviewed. These nanofibers containing essential oils have shown applications in biomedical applications and as food-packaging materials. This approach of delivering essential oils in nanoformulations has attracted considerable attention in the scientific community due to its low price, a considerable ratio of surface area to volume, versatility, and high yield. It is observed that the resulting nanofibers possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Therefore, they can reduce the use of toxic synthetic drugs that are utilized in the cosmetics, medicine, and food industries. These nanofibers increase barrier properties against light, oxygen, and heat, thereby protecting and preserving the food from oxidative damage. Moreover, the nanofibers discussed are introduced with naturally derived chemical compounds in a controlled manner, which simultaneously prevents their degradation. The nanofibers loaded with different essential oils demonstrate an ability to increase the shelf-life of various food products while using them as active packaging materials.
Highlights
Phytochemicals are compounds that help plants to defend against microbes, insects, and other animals
The results indicated that Chrysanthemum oil (CHEO)/chitosan nanofiber (CSNF) could minimize the rate of lipid oxidation and preserve freshness, prolonging the shelf-life of beef
This review article discussed the encapsulation of various therapeutic essential oils such as lavender, thyme, cinnamon, tea tree, clove, peppermint, rosemary, etc., in polymeric nanofibers
Summary
Phytochemicals are compounds that help plants to defend against microbes, insects, and other animals. These nanocomposites can be used in a variety of applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and thermal and mechanical properties in the near future [40] In this vein, essential oils’ encapsulation into polymeric fibers has opened new ways for wound dressings, scaffolds for tissue engineering, and active food-packaging structures with progressed antimicrobial activities. Biodegradable electrospun PVA/CEO/β-cyclodextrin nanofibrous film showed excellent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus It could effectively prolong the shelf-life of strawberries, being applicable in active food packaging. Chitosan/citric acid/PEO nanofiber mats manufactured by electrospinning could act as delivery vehicles for this oil, potentially eliminating pseudomonas infections This nanofiber prepared by emulsion electrospinning showed good antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans with 2, 3, and 4 wt % CEO. Flavor, and PH value, and lessened the microbial contamination of meat products wrapped with this fiber
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