Temperature-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/polylactic acid/lemon essential oil nanofiber films prepared via different electrospinning processes: Controlled release and preservation effect

Shuqiong Xia; Donglu Fang; Yalong Guo; Chong Shi; Junying Wang; Lianfei Lyu; Yaqiong Wu; Zilong Deng; Erzheng Su; Fuliang Cao; Weilin Li

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136217

Temperature-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/polylactic acid/lemon essential oil nanofiber films prepared via different electrospinning processes: Controlled release and preservation effect

Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Oct 1;281(Pt 1):136217. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136217. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Shuqiong Xia¹, Donglu Fang², Yalong Guo³, Chong Shi⁴, Junying Wang⁴, Lianfei Lyu⁵, Yaqiong Wu⁵, Zilong Deng⁶, Erzheng Su³, Fuliang Cao⁴, Weilin Li⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, Jiangsu, China; State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China. Electronic address: fangdonglu@njfu.edu.cn.
³ College of Light Industry and Food Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, Jiangsu, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
⁵ Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Nanjing 210014, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory for Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry and Grassland, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China. Electronic address: wlli@njfu.edu.cn.

PMID: 39362443
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136217

Abstract

To develop an optimized controlled-release system based on temperature-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) nanofibers, we prepared three types of temperature-controlled preservative films. These films were composed of PNIPAAm, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polylactic acid (PLA), and lemon essential oil (LEO), and were fabricated using uniaxial, coaxial, and layered spinning techniques. The nanofiber films obtained by layered spinning exhibited a sandwich structure, demonstrating superior physical barrier properties, mechanical strength, and thermal resistance. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the hydrogen bonding interaction between the polylactic acid/lemon essential oil and PNIPAAm layers. LEO release tests showed that PNIPAAm functions as a temperature-responsive switch, suppressing LEO release below and promoting it above the critical solution temperature. After a sustained release at 40 °C for 5 days, the layered film maintained significant antibacterial activity, effectively extending the shelf life of blackberries to 4 days. Considering its physical barrier, mechanical, and sustained-release properties, the layered film derived from PNIPAAm shows great potential as an intelligent temperature-controlled cling film to effectively extend the freshness of perishable products.

Keywords: Antibacterial activity; Coaxial electrospinning; Controlled-release; Layered electrospinning; Temperature-sensitive nanofiber.