Polycaprolactone/polylactic acid nanofibers incorporated with butyl hydroxyanisole /HP-β-CD assemblies for improving fruit storage quality

Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Nov 13:137637. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.137637. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

In this study, the inclusion complex was prepared with butyl hydroxyanisole (BHA) as the functional substance and 2-hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) as the main molecule by ultrasound mediation. The inclusion complex was mixed with polycaprolactone (PCL)/polylactic acid (PLA), and nanofiber films loaded with different concentrations of BHA/HP-β-CD inclusion complex were prepared by electrospinning for fruit preservation. The scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy characterization results showed that HP-β-CD successfully embedded BHA in the cavity. The encapsulation of BHA increases the fiber diameter and thermal stability and decreases the crystallinity and hydrophobicity. The oxidation resistance experiment showed that the nanofiber film had a strong free radical scavenging ability. The BHA release rate of the nanofiber membrane was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the release curve results showed that the inclusion complex prepared by ultrasonic self-assembly could significantly prolong the BHA release time. In addition, nanofiber films containing inclusion complex showed an effective fresh-keeping effect within 7 days of mango storage. In conclusion, a series of characterization tests show that the nanofiber film prepared in this study has a good market prospect in food preservation.

Keywords: Butyl hydroxyanisole; Cyclodextrin inclusion complex; Electrospinning.