Chitosan/PCL fibrous membranes loaded potassium cinnamate/β-CD clathrate compounds developed by ELS for fruit preservation

In this study, Potassium cinnamate (PC)/β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) clathrate compounds were self-assembled by ultrasound-guided, and Chitosan (CS)/Polycaprolactone (PCL) fibrous membranes were fabricated by electrospinning (ELS) to load the clathrate compounds. FTIR and XRD patterns confirmed the successful assembly of the clathrate compounds and the formation of hydrogen bonds between the clathrate compounds and the CS/PCL fibrous membrane. With the addition of the clathrate compounds, the membrane showed decreased crystallinity, increased thermal stability, hydrophilicity, and brittleness, and exhibited a sustained release of PC for 240 h. More importantly, the series of fibrous membranes showed good antibacterial activity in vitro and on cherries, which provided an important reference value for the application of fibrous composites in prolonging the shelf life of fruits.