A green approach to tangerine preservation: composite electro-blown nanofibers activated with cedarwood oil

In this study, a novel active food packaging hybrid nanofibrous mats were fabricated from gelatin (G), chitosan (Ch), polyamide-6 (PA6), and Cedrus atlantica essential oil (CAEO) via an electroblowing technique. The G-Ch-PA6 nanofibrous mats containing varying concentrations (0, 1, 3, and 5%, m/m) of CAEO were produced and thermally crosslinked. These hybrid mats underwent comprehensive characterization, including morphology assessment, surface wetting analysis, thermal stability examination, antioxidant evaluation, bioactivity testing, and more. Morphological investigation revealed that the incorporation of different CAEO concentrations influenced the average diameter of the nanofibers, which ranged from 335.09 to 541.90 nm. Moreover, the antioxidant properties of nanofibrous mats were assessed using DPPH and ABTS methods, revealing a linear relationship between antioxidant activity and the loading amount of CAEO. These findings underscore the potential of the G-Ch-PA6-CAEO5 nanofibrous mat as a multifunctional active packaging material, promising in the preservation and freshness monitoring of fruits such as tangerines. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.)