Abstract: Our present study investigated the effect of eugenol addition on the characteristics of spinning solution and the physiochemical properties and antibacterial activity of nanofiber absorbent pads. The results showed that the apparent viscosity of the spinning solution decreased with eugenol addition, and the “vesicle” structure in the nanofiber increased. The elongation at break of the absorbent pad decreased with eugenol addition. The tensile strength of the absorbent pad with 15% eugenol was the largest, but the tensile strength showed a significant downward trend with increasing eugenol content above 15%. As the content of eugenol increased, the swelling ratio and water vapor transmission rate of the absorbent pad decreased. The scavenging capacity of the pad with 20% eugenol against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical cation were the strongest with percentage scavenging of 83% and 78%, respectively. Moreover, the nanofiber absorbent pad had a good inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In summary, the antibacterial absorbent pad can effectively absorb meat exudate, slow down the oxidation rate of meat and inhibit the reproduction of microorganisms.

Key words: electrospinning; microstructure; eugenol; antibacterial absorbent pad