Propolis Extract: Weaving Antioxidant Power into Polymeric Composites Through Electrospinning

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Food Science

Background:

• Developing bioactive composites faces challenges in stability, bioactivity retention, and controlled release.
• Electrospinning offers a method to encapsulate bioactive compounds, providing high surface area, porosity, and gradual release.
• Propolis is a promising bioactive source with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, suitable for biopolymer applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the composition and antioxidant activity of commercial propolis extracts.
• To select the optimal propolis extract for creating fiber composites.
• To produce and characterize electrospun fibers using zein and polyethylene oxide (PEO) incorporating selected propolis extract.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of propolis extract composition and antioxidant capacity.
• Selection of propolis extract based on characterization data.
• Electrospinning of zein and PEO blended with propolis extract.
• Characterization of electrospun fibers (morphology, thermal properties, antioxidant release).

Main Results:

• Identification of suitable propolis extracts with significant antioxidant activity.
• Successful fabrication of electrospun composite fibers containing propolis.
• Demonstration of controlled antioxidant release from the composite fibers.
• Characterization confirmed the integrity and functionality of the bioactive compounds within the fibers.

Conclusions:

• Electrospinning is effective for producing composite materials with bioactive propolis.
• The developed composite fibers show potential for controlled release of antioxidant compounds.
• This technology offers innovative solutions for antioxidant applications in biomedical, food, and industrial sectors.