Electrospinning of food-grade nanofibers from cellulose acetate and egg albumen blends

Edible nanofibrous thin films were fabricated for the first time from blend solutions of cellulose acetate (CA) in 85% acetic acid and egg albumen (EA) in 50% formic acid by electrospinning. The mass percentage ratios of CA–EA in the mixed solvents varied from 100:0 to 91:9, 77:23, 66:34 and 0:100. Effects of the blend ratios on the solution properties and morphology of the resulting electrospun products were studied. The results showed that EA lacked sufficient entanglement and also possessed very high surface tension, thereby being unable to form nanofibers. The addition of CA and surfactant (Tween40®) decreased both the electrical conductivity and the surface tension of the blends (p < 0.05), which facilitated the formation of CA–EA blend nanofibers. Scanning electron microscopic images showed that the continuity of the blend fibers was improved with an increase in the EA ratio. Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy and thermo-gravimetric analysis results indicated that the obtained fibers were composed of both CA and EA constituents. This study demonstrated a potential to fabricate edible nanofibers from natural food biopolymers using the electrospinning technique. Due to the properties of EA, these nanofibers could provide new functionalities with respect to in vivo-controlled release of nutraceuticals and drugs.