Electrospun natural polypeptides based nanofabrics enriched with antioxidant polyphenols for active food preservation

In order to overcome the environmental problems posed by traditional packaging materials and taking into account the degradation factors, a natural polypeptides-based nanofiber rich in different polyphenols was prepared by electrospinning technique and has been explored as an active food packaging material. The results showed that the introduction of polyphenols improved the hydrophobicity and oxidation resistance of the natural polypeptides based nanofabric. The antioxidant value was 82.5% after incorporation of 15% gallic acid, which was ten times more than that of the natural polypeptides-based nanofabrics without polyphenols. Through the packaging test of wrapped cherries, it was found that the nanofabric films greatly improved the preservation performance of cherries. Water loss, hardness and gas release were significantly enhanced when compared with those of unwrapped cherries. In this work, the zein/gelatin film with 15% gallic acid or 10% procyanidins polyphenols exhibited the best fresh-keeping performance and remarkable effect thus leading to potential application aspect.