Electrospun β-carotene–loaded SPI:PVA fiber mats produced by emulsion-electrospinning as bioactive coatings for food packaging

[Display omitted] •Bioactive coatings were obtained by emulsion electrospinning for food packaging use.•Blends of soy protein isolate and polyvinyl alcohol were used as protective matrix.•A thermal process was applied to improve adhesion of the coating to the package.•This thermal process slowed down the release of encapsulated β-carotene. In this work, emulsion electrospinning was used to develop an active internal coating for food packaging applications. Specifically, the antioxidant molecule β-carotene, was encapsulated in a mixture of soy protein isolate (SPI) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) which was directly electrospun onto a polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHB92/PHV8) film. An annealing treatment was applied to improve the adhesion of the electrospun mat onto the packaging film, which contributed to modulate the release of the active compound. Stable SPI:PVA emulsions (with a 50:50 ratio) were developed using soybean oil (SBO) as carrier of the hydrophobic β-carotene. The encapsulation efficiency of β-carotene in the electrospun SPI:PVA fibers was 65.0 % ± 2.6 %, being 51.4 % ± 0.9 % effectively incorporated into their cores. Finally, the in-vitro release assay of the antioxidant in soybean oil, which simulates fatty foods, demonstrated that the heat treatment (anneling) contributed to a slower and more sustained released of the bioactive compound.