A new application for the valorisation of pomegranate seed oil: nanoencapsulation of pomegranate seed oil into electrospun nanomats for food preservation

Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) contains many bioactive materials including antimicrobials, antioxidants, tocopherol and unsaturated fatty acids such as punicic acids. Utilising PSO with nanotechnological ways is a novel approach. Therefore, in this study, PSO-loaded nanomats having an average diameter of 327 nm with 97.6% encapsulation efficiency were produced. Then, the protection potential of nanomats was determined in terms of the microbial and oxidative deterioration of food samples. On the 1st day of storage, the TMAB load of the control kashar cheese was 4.35 log CFU g(-1), while it was 3.05 log CFU g(-1) in the coated cheese (change: 1.3 logs). On the 20th day of storage, the TMAB load of the CK sample and PSc sample was 5.52 and 4.22 log CFU g(-1), respectively (change: 1.3 logs). For fish fillets, nanoencapsulated PSO enabled a bacterial reduction of 1.22 log cycles after 9 days of storage. The total mould and yeast number of cheese samples increased during storage, but the increase was lower in the coated group. Nanomats also increased the oxidative stability of food samples. Thiobarbituric acid values of coated samples were lower than uncoated samples.

Automated summary

Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) is rich in bioactive materials and using it with nanotechnological methods can improve the microbial and oxidative stability of food samples. In this study, PSO-loaded nanomats showed great potential in reducing microbial contamination and improving oxidative stability in cheese and fish fillets during storage.