Synthesis and properties of core-shell thymol-loaded zein/shellac nanoparticles by coaxial electrospray as edible coatings

In this study, a coaxial electrospray process was used to produce nanoparticles, in which thymol was encapsulated in a core-shell of zein and shellac. We then investigated fluid velocity and solution concen-trations on the electrospray. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the thymol/zein/shellac parti-cles prepared at a flow rate ratio of 0.6:0.3 mL/h were rounder with smaller diameters. The highest encapsulation efficiency of thymol was 81.34%, the average particle size was 606.53 nm, and the reten-tion rate of thymol was 68.74% after 30 days. Moreover, we investigated the thermal stability, antimicro-bial activity, and simulated gastrointestinal release curves of the nanoparticles. Finally, the nanoparticles were used as a coating for fresh-cut cantaloupe. Compared with the blank nanoparticle control group, the coating significantly extended the shelf life of cantaloupe to 16 days. Our results indicate that these nanoparticles have great potential for application in food preservation. (c) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

A coaxial electrospray process was employed to produce nanoparticles encapsulating thymol within a core-shell of zein and shellac. The resulting nanoparticles showed high encapsulation efficiency, thermal stability, and antimicrobial activity, with potential applications in food preservation. Additionally, these nanoparticles significantly extended the shelf life of fresh-cut cantaloupe compared to control groups.