Recent trends in the application of protein electrospun fibers for loading food bioactive compounds

[Display omitted] •Proteins serve as potential polymer matrices for engineering electrospun fibers.•The end attributes of protein electrospun fibers (EFs) are tunable by adjusting different production parameters.•Protein EFs can preserve (bio)stability and bioactivity of may functional ingredients.•In vivo behavior of EFs is highly challenging.•Further studies on their food applications via animal models could answer various queries. Electrospun fibers (EFs) have emerged as promising one-dimensional materials for a myriad of research/commercial applications due to their outstanding structural and physicochemical features. Polymers of either synthetic or natural precursors are applied to design EFs as carriers for bioactive compounds. For engineering food systems, it is crucial to exploit polymers characterized by non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity, biocompatibility, slow/controllable biodegradability, and structural integrity. The unique attributes of protein-based biomaterials endow a wide diversity of desirable features to EFs for meeting the requirements of advanced food/biomedical applications. In this review paper, after an overview on electrospinning, different protein materials (plant- and animal-based) as biodegradable/biocompatible building blocks for designing EFs will be highlighted. The potential application of protein-based EFs in loading bioactive compounds with the intention to inspire interests in both academia and industry will be summarized. This review concludes with a discussion of prevailing challenges in using protein EFs for the bioactive vehicle development.