Preparation and characterization of electrospun chitosan-polycaprolactone antibacterial nanofibrous membranes loaded...

The current common traditional plastic packaging materials have become major environmental issues due to their non-degradability. This study developed a biodegradable antimicrobial food packaging using polycaprolactone (PCL) and chitosan (CS) via electrospinning, incorporating curcumin nanoparticles with an encapsulation efficiency of 94.69 %. The effects of the components and ratios on the performance of the fiber membrane were explored. Optimal performance was achieved at 15 % PCL and 1.0 % CS, which resulted in a fiber diameter of 125.10 ± 4.74 nm and a tensile strength of 2.26 MPa. Additionally, the incorporation of 1.0 % NPs led to a significant improvement in the water vapor barrier property and the thermal stability of the membrane. The zein-based curcumin NPs dose-dependently enhanced antioxidant activity (up to 32.93 % DPPH scavenging at 2.5 % NPs) and photodynamic antibacterial efficacy-reducing S. aureus and E. coli colonies more than 1.5 log CFU/mL. This study demonstrates the potential of electrospun CS-PCL antimicrobial fiber membranes for food packaging applications, providing theoretical support and reference for using electrospun nanofibers with bioactive-embedded NPs to effectively inhibit food-borne pathogenic bacteria.