Encapsulation of phenolic compounds in food grade biopolymer nanofibers

Phenolic compounds are often chemically unstable; therefore, their encapsulation in food grade polymers can be of great interest.Phenolics of different hydrofobicity (gallic acid and naringenin) were encapsulated in pullulan nanofibers-an edible polysaccharide-by means of homogeneous solution electrospinning and the use of ß-cyclodextrin was studied to increase the charge amounts of hydrophobic phenolic. Macroscopically homogeneous nanofibrous membranes were obtained, with fiber thicknesses ranging between 200-300 nm, with or without cyclodextrin microcrystalline aggregates. The charges were 35.5±4.97 mg g-1 of pullulan for gallic acid and 0.0450±0.006 mg g-1of pullulan for naringenin, this latter increased 87-fold after the use of ß-cyclodextrin. The materials obtained are particularly promising in applications where instantaneous release of the load is required.