Abstract:Perillaldehyde (PA) is an environment-friendly natural active ingredient extracted from plants that have been proven to possess antibacterial and antioxidant properties. However, the volatile nature and water-insolubility of PA limit its application. In this study, PA/MβCD inclusion nanofibers (PA/MβCD-IC-NF) were prepared by electrospinning technology. The microstructure of the fibers was characterized by SEM, and the results showed that the diameter distribution of PA/MβCD-IC-NF was relatively uniform and the surface was free of beads, with an average diameter of 134 ± 60 nm. 1H NMR, XRD, FT-IR, and molecular simulation prove that PA was successfully encapsulated in the cyclodextrin cavity, forming PA/MβCD inclusion complex (PA/MβCD-IC). In addition, the results of TGA and phase solubility study displayed that the thermal stability and water solubility of PA were significantly enhanced after the formation of PA/MβCD-IC-NF. The antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity of the encapsulated nanofibers were evaluated and the results showed that the antioxidant activity of PA/MβCD-IC-NF was significantly better than that of PA, and the inhibitory rate against E. coli and S. aureus were 96.2±0.1% and 94.0±0.3%, respectively.