Electrospun thyme essential oil/gelatin nanofibers for active packaging against Campylobacter jejuni in chicken

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) contamination on poultry surface posed great threats to meat industry and human health. In order to control the propagation of C. jejuni, the gelatin nanofibers containing thyme essential oil/β-cyclodextrin ε-polylysine nanoparticles (TCPNs) were engineered. Firstly, TCPNs were successfully fabricated via ionic gelation. The prepared TCPNs showed excellent antimicrobial activity against C. jejuni, which caused membranolysis and protein leakage of C. jejuni. Subsequently, TCPNs were incorporated into gelatin nanofibrous matrix via electrospinning to produce antimicrobial nanofibers. Uniformly disordered fibrous structure with good continuity and fine diameter distribution was observed. Finally, the aerobic bacterial count, thiobarbituric acid, total volatile basic nitrogen, pH, color and texture of meat samples packaged with the nanofibers were detected. The results implied the TCPNs embedded gelatin nanofibers had a promising prospect in meat preservation without impact on sensory evaluation.