Fabrication of novel electrospun zein/polyethylene oxide film incorporating nisin for antimicrobial packaging

The composite electrospun zein/polyethylene oxide (PEO) films were successfully fabricated by incorporating nisin at different levels using blending electrospinning for the first time. Electrospinning of zein/PEO solution conducted at optimized voltage of 15 kV with a flow rate of 3 mL/h and distance of 12 cm caused the formation of fibers with bead-free and uniform morphologies. The increased level of the incorporated nisin in zein/PEO fibers caused increasing conductivity and viscosity of solutions, which resulted in the smaller fiber diameter. Furthermore, the enhanced antibacterial activity and mechanical strength was detected with addition of nisin. The fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that these biomolecules interacted with each other via hydrogen bonding. The zein/PEO packing films incorporated with nisin effectively inhibited the bacterial growth and retarded the chemical deterioration of chicken breast during 12-days storage at 4 degrees C. Therefore, electrospun zein/PEO loaded with nisin could be a prospective active packaging for food preservation.