Nerolidol/hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin inclusion complex nanofibers: Active food packaging for effective strawberry preservation
Yu Zhang, Fengrui Li, Hong‐Lei Yan, Yan Zhang, Shimiao Feng, Lei Deng, Lixia Zhao, Shuang Gao, Ying Fu, Fei Ye
Abstract
The development of bio-based active food packaging is urgently needed to address food safety concerns. In this study, nerolidol/hydroxypropyl- β -cyclodextrin inclusion complex nanofibers (nerolidol/HP β CD-IC-NF) were prepared by electrospinning to improve the thermal stability and water solubility of natural antimicrobial nerolidol. Structural characterization (FTIR, XRD, 1 H NMR) confirmed successful nerolidol encapsulation within HP β CD cavities. The resulting bead-free nanofibers exhibited high surface area and porosity. Nerolidol/HP β CD-IC-NF demonstrated a 3.3-fold increase in free radical scavenging capacity compared to free nerolidol, along with potent antimicrobial activity (88.1 % and 76.0 % inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus , respectively). In strawberry preservation trials, nanofiber membranes reduced B. cinerea lesion diameters by 5.56-fold after 5 days compared to untreated controls, significantly extending shelf life. These findings highlight Nerolidol/HP β CD-IC-NF as a promising solution for preventing microbial contamination and improving food preservation efficacy in active packaging applications.