Preparation and Characterization of Polylactic Acid Based Nanofiber Loaded with Tangerine Peel (Citrus Unshiu) Essential Oil

Abstract

Electrospinning method used in nanofiber production is an economical method applied with high voltage electricity.Essential oils obtained from natural sources have antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal properties and are preferred in the production of nanomaterials by electro-spinning method. In this study, tangerine peel (citrus unshiu) essential oil (TPEO) was obtained by hydro-distillation method. The major one of the 10 components of the extract detected by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GS-MS) was D-Limonene (%77.45). The composite nanofiber was prepared with 25% TPEO and polylactic acid (PLA). Nanofibers were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). According to the SEM results, it is seen that the essential oil is composited with prominent spheroidal structures in PLA nanofiber structure, and nanofiber diameter obtained is approximately 76.8 nm. Its decomposition temperature is about 320°C. Nanofibers obtained from tangerine peels and their antibacterial properties, can be recommended use for food preservation and medicine fields.