Electrospray is an emerging technology with a low cost, non-thermal and simple process. It can produce functional nano- and microparticles embedded with bioactive components for antimicrobial or/and antioxidant purposes to extend product shelf life. Natural polymers are attracting increasing attention for fabrication of packaging materials due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and sustainability. Innovative approaches have recently been introduced for electrospray and electrospinning of natural polymers, including coaxial electrospray and emulsion electrospray assisted with a commercially available microfluidizer. Emulsification approach can encapsulate immiscible compounds with better efficiency, stability, and with a controlled release profile. Material properties such as molecular weight, morphology, viscosity, surface tension and tendency to form a gel have been reported to be of key importance in electrospray. In the current study, a novel ingredient, water soluble yellow mustard mucilage from yellow mustard bran, were isolated and used together with starch for electrospray. A type of essential oil, carvacrol, was used as a model core component. Two objectives have been achieved: 1. Fabricate micro and nano-particles using electrospray of WSM and starch; 2. Evaluate physicochemical and functional properties of the fabricated materials. Emulsions were prepared using microfludizer at a pressure of 10,000 psi with the droplet size ranged from 100-500 nm with various concentrations of starch WSM and carvacrol. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to evaluate the particle properties. Antimicrobial properties of the fabricated particles were evaluated using <i>E. coli</i> and <i>S. aureus</i> assays. The results indicated that all the carvacrol embed particles exhibited antimicrobial and controlled releasing properties. Further studies will be carried out to optimize the formula of the nano/micro- emulsion, and the effect of antimicrobial and shelf-life prolonging properties after addition of multiple bioactive components in the materials.

Natural polymer based electrospray for active food packaging: A study of water soluble yellow mustard mucilage

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.