Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> The objective of this study was to encapsulate a blend of essential oils (EOs), comprising lemongrass, clove, and thyme, in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-based nanofibers using the electrospinning technique. Nanofibers were produced incorporating different concentrations of EOB (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% w/w) relative to HPMC. The nanofibers were evaluated for morphology and size distribution (SEM), load capacity (LC), encapsulation efficiency (EE), contact angle, DSC, FTIR, antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity, and antifungal activity. The nanofibers exhibited a cylindrical, homogeneous morphology without bead-like defects; however, at the highest EOB concentrations (15 and 20%), they showed a tendency toward structural collapse/flattening with average diameters ranging from 62.96 to 160.35 nm. The nanofibers exhibited low contact angles with water, ranging from 11.21 to 58.96˚. The FTIR spectra of the nanofibers showed bands characteristic of their constituents (HPMC and EOB). The highest LC value was obtained for the nanofiber containing 5% EOB (58.5%), accompanied by a high EE (94.2%). The blend proved to be more thermally stable when incorporated into the nanofibers than in its non-encapsulated form. Pure EOB and the nanofiber containing 20% EOB exhibited high antioxidant activity using the DPPH radical method. The nanofibers with 10% and 15% EOB showed the greatest inhibitory effect against <italic>S. aureus</italic> and <italic>E. coli</italic> . The nanofibers containing 15% and 20% EOB exhibited 100% inhibition against the fungus <italic>Botrytis</italic> . Therefore, HPMC-EOB nanofibers are promising antibacterial and antifungal agents in the food industry, with potential for both replacing synthetic additives and for packaging production. </p>