Effect of hexanal loaded electrospun fiber in fruit packaging to enhance the post harvest quality of peach

•Hexanal is a natural, volatile compound that enhances shelf life of fruits.•Hexanal reduces membrane disintegration by slowing down the enzyme phospholipase-D.•Hexanal was trapped in zein-PEO, polymer solution and electrospun into fiber.•Encapsulation of hexanal in fibers, enables sustained release during transit.•Such electrospun fiber helps to enhance shelf life in tender fruits. Hexanal is a naturally occurring bioactive volatile compound which extends post-harvest shelf life of fruits and vegetable by preserving the cell membrane from degradation. The aim of this study is to encapsulate hexanal in a polymer and activate its release in presence of relative humidity replicating the fruit packaging environment. Fiber loaded with hexanal was prepared using different ratios of zein-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer solution containing hexanal (1:2:5 and 1:5:5) on weight basis. Sustained diffusion of hexanal vapor from electrospun fiber was achieved and confirmed using gas chromatography. Characterization of fibers using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the incorporation of hexanal into the fiber and the changes in the morphology of fiber in relation to the relative humidity. Hexanal loaded fibers were used in the packaging of peaches and its shelf life parameters were evaluated. The results showed that increasing the relative humidity in the packaging environment triggered the release of hexanal from the fiber. Physical and morphological study of the fiber revealed that the integrity of the fiber did not change for 20 days at room temperature when stored at 0 % RH. The application of hexanal loaded fiber on the peach showed that the shelf life of fruits was extended by 4 days and the fiber prepared from the ratio 1:2:5 w/w of hexanal, zein and PEO showed better efficacy in shelf life extension of peach as compared with fiber prepared from the 1:5:5 w/w of hexanal, zein and PEO polymer solution.