Improvement of the physico-mechanical properties of antibacterial electrospun poly lactic acid nanofibers by incorporation of guar gum and thyme essential oil

The purpose of the present work was the fabrication of a novel nanofiber based on polylactic acid/guar gum (PLA/GG) containing thyme essential oil by the electrospinning method for food packaging applications. The PLA/GG nanofiber displayed smooth morphology without bead with average fiber diameter of 413.62 +/- 169.73 nm. The obtained results of FT-IR and TGA analysis indicated the compatibility among PLA, GG, and thyme essential oil. Furthermore, the PLA/GG nanofibers containing 30% thyme essential oil showed high surface hydrophobicity, and suitable antioxidant and antibacterial activities. In addition, the produced nanofibers indicated no cell cytotoxicity that showed their desirable biocompatibility. As a result, the usage of PLA/GG containing 30% thyme electrospun nanofiber could be a promising system in the safety and shelf life of foods.

Automated summary

This study successfully prepared PLA/GG nanofibers containing thyme essential oil, which displayed smooth morphology and desirable biocompatibility, suitable for food packaging applications.