Preparation and Characterization of Dihydromyricetin-Loaded Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Gelatin/Zein Composite Electroblowing Nanofibers

In this study, composite nanofibrous membranes composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), gelatin, and zein loaded with different contents of dihydromyricetin (DMY) were fabricated via electroblowing spinning (EBS). The effects of DMY content on the microstructure, physicochemical properties, mechanical strength, and functional performance of the membranes were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the average fiber diameter increased from 174 ± 29 nm to 221 ± 35 nm with increasing DMY content, followed by a slight decrease at higher loading levels, indicating that DMY incorporation influences fiber morphology. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results suggested the presence of hydrogen bonding interactions between DMY and the polymer matrix. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicated changes in the physical state of DMY within the nanofibrous system as the loading content increased. All samples exhibited a typical two-stage release behavior, and the highest cumulative release (nearly 55%) was observed at a DMY loading of 22.5%, while further increasing the loading reduced the release efficiency to approximately 45%. The release profiles were well described by a first-order kinetic model. The composite membranes exhibited improved surface hydrophilicity, appropriate water vapor permeability, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity againstEscherichia coli(E. coli) andStaphylococcus aureus(S. aureus). This study demonstrates the successful fabrication of DMY-loaded PVA/gelatin/zein nanofibrous membranes and provides preliminary insights into their structure–property–function relationships, release behavior, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity against representative bacteria, although further application-oriented validation is still required.