A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ESSENTIAL OIL-BASED NANOFIBERS VIA EMULSION ELECTROSPINNING

This study aimed to produce polyvinylpyrrolidone/gelatin (PVP/GEL) nanofibers based on clove essential oil (CLEO) and eucalyptus essential oil (EEO) through emulsion electrospinning. Firstly, solution properties such as GC-MS profile, viscosity, conductivity, and surface tension were investigated. Then, nanofibers were produced under optimum process parameters and characterized using SEM, FT-IR, and UV-vis. Lastly, antibacterial activity was determined via the disc diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ), Escherichia coli ( E. coli ), Candida albicans ( C. albicans ), Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa ), and Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis ). The major components of CLEO and EEO were determined to be eugenol and 1,8-cineole, respectively. Conductivity and surface tension decreased and viscosity increased with increasing concentration of either essential oil. Generally, addition of CLEO to the polymer solution yielded quite fine nanofibers and eliminated beads. Moreover, CLEO nanofibers displayed larger inhibition zones than did EEO nanofibers.