Silver nanoparticles incorporated, yellow turmeric extract-infused polycaprolactone/starch electrospun nanofibers: Synthesis, physiochemical characterization, and fruit-packaging behavior

Active food packaging materials derived from natural bioactive chemicals and biocompatible polymers have become increasingly popular because of their minimal environmental impact. Electrospun biopolymers with bioactive compounds are of considerable interest for constructing nanofibrous mats to fulfill the demand for active food packaging materials. From this viewpoint, in the present study, in situ growth of Ag nanoparticles with yellow turmeric extract (YTE)-infused polycaprolactone/starch (PCL/ST) nanofibrous mat was performed via electrospinning. The physicochemical properties and bioactivity of the as-synthesized PCL/ST/YTE/Ag nanofibrous mats were evaluated using state-of-the-art methods and compared with those of a series of samples (i.e., PCL/ST, PCL/ST/Ag, and PCL/ST/YTE) for fruit packaging. All the synthesized samples exhibited smooth and uniform surface morphologies. However, the average fiber diameters of PCL/ST/Ag, PCL/ST/YTE, and PCL/ST/YTE/Ag exceeded those of PCL/ST. The PCL/ST/YTE/Ag nanofibrous mat exhibited high mechanical strength, a decent ultraviolet blocking capacity, a low water vapor transmission rate, and lower wettability. The PCL/ST/YTE/Ag mat exhibited improved biocompatibility (on the NIH-3T3 cell line), antioxidant properties, and antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. When synthesized nanofibrous mats were used for the active packaging of cherry tomatoes, the PCL/ST/YTE/Ag mat delayed spoilage and maintained “the tomatoes’ inherent color” until the 7th day. Overall, the results indicate that the PCL/ST/YTE/Ag nanofibrous mat has promising potential for active fruit packaging.