The impact of electrospun films of poly(ε-caprolactone) filled with nanostructured zeolite and silica microparticles on in vitro histamine formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Paratyphi A

This research study originally reports the preparation and characterization of electrospun films based on poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) with high histamine-binding capacity. To this end, submicron PCL fibers filled with nanostructured zeolite or silica (SiO2) microparticles in the 5-20 wt% range were first prepared by solution electrospinning. The resultant electrospun composite fiber mats were thereafter thermally post-treated at 55 degrees C to successfully develop contact-transparent films with reduced porosity and improved mechanical strength. The capacity of the developed composite films to entrap histamine was evaluated in vitro by the culture media method using Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Salmonella Paratyphi A (S. Paratyphi A) foodborne bacteria. Both electrospun zeolite- and SiO2-containing PCL films exhibited high histamine-binding capacity, being more effective for S. aureus. The histamine entrapment performance was significantly higher for the PCL films filled with zeolite due to the enhanced porous structure and more optimal adsorption selectivity of this inorganic filler. The here-developed electrospun composite films can be applied as novel active-scavenging packaging materials to entrap heat-stable histamine and other biogenic amines released from fish and fishery products.