Strawberry is a nutrient-rich and important small fruit because of its high content of beneficial phytochemicals and several vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin B6. However, strawberry is highly perishable due to its susceptibility to mechanical damage, microbiological decay, and softening in texture. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in using various essential oils as natural food preservatives. Although, they have limited stability to exposure to high temperatures, light and oxygen, which could eventually affect sensory quality attributes. The electrospinning method is a simple and well-organized process that has been used to encapsulate essential oils. In this study, the effect of thyme essential oil (TEO) encapsulated into zein electrospun fiber film was assessed on extending the shelf life and preserving the quality of strawberry fruit during storage. Results indicated that TEO presented potent antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Aspergillus fumigatus. The scanning electron microscopy images of zein fiber had a linear shape, absence of beads, and smooth surface. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of TEO in the zein fiber was about 75.23%. Encapsulated TEO released at a slower rate than free TEO. The zein/TEO fibers (zein fiber film loaded with TEO) significantly (p ˂ 0.05) decreased weight loss and maintained the anthocyanin content, firmness and color of the strawberries during storage. After 15 days of storage, weight loss reduced about 15% and firmness was higher about 20% in packed fruit with zein/TEO fibers compared to control. Interestingly, after 15 days of cold storage, the strawberries firmness, appearance, and sensory evaluation, which are important quality factors from both postharvest and consumers’ viewpoint, in zein/TEO fiber treatment were acceptable and had higher scores compared to the control. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the benefits of incorporating TEO into zein films, which could play a significant role in the active packaging and preservation of strawberry fruits.

中文翻译：

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用静电纺玉米醇溶蛋白纤维包裹百里香精油用于草莓保鲜

草莓是一种营养丰富且重要的小水果，因为它富含有益的植物化学物质和多种维生素，如维生素 C、维生素 E 和维生素 B6。然而，草莓极易腐烂，因为它容易受到机械损伤、微生物腐烂和质地软化。最近，人们越来越关注使用各种精油作为天然食品防腐剂。虽然，它们对暴露于高温、光和氧气的稳定性有限，最终可能会影响感官质量属性。静电纺丝方法是一种简单且组织良好的工艺，已用于封装精油。在这项研究中，评估了包裹在玉米醇溶蛋白电纺纤维薄膜中的百里香精油 (TEO) 对延长草莓果实的保质期和在储存期间保持品质的效果。结果表明，TEO对蜡状芽孢杆菌、大肠杆菌和烟曲霉具有有效的抗菌活性。玉米醇溶蛋白纤维的扫描电镜图像呈线状，无珠粒，表面光滑。TEO在玉米醇溶蛋白纤维中的包封率（EE）约为75.23%。封装 TEO 的释放速度比游离 TEO 慢。玉米醇溶蛋白/TEO 纤维（载有 TEO 的玉米醇溶蛋白纤维膜）显着 (p ˂ 0.05) 减少了重量损失，并在储存期间保持了草莓的花青素含量、硬度和颜色。存放 15 天后，与对照相比，用玉米醇溶蛋白/TEO 纤维包装的水果的重量损失减少了约 15%，硬度提高了约 20%。有趣的是，在冷藏 15 天后，从采后和消费者的角度来看，草莓的硬度、外观和感官评价都是重要的品质因素，在玉米醇溶蛋白/TEO 纤维处理中，与对照相比，它们的得分是可以接受的并且得分更高。总之，本研究证明了将 TEO 加入玉米醇溶蛋白薄膜的好处，这可以在草莓果实的活性包装和保鲜中发挥重要作用。在玉米醇溶蛋白/TEO 纤维处理中是可以接受的并且与对照相比具有更高的分数。总之，本研究证明了将 TEO 加入玉米醇溶蛋白薄膜的好处，这可以在草莓果实的活性包装和保鲜中发挥重要作用。在玉米醇溶蛋白/TEO 纤维处理中是可以接受的并且与对照相比具有更高的分数。总之，本研究证明了将 TEO 加入玉米醇溶蛋白薄膜的好处，这可以在草莓果实的活性包装和保鲜中发挥重要作用。