Improving oxidative stability of flaxseed oil by Zein-Basil seed gum electrospun nanofibers activated by thyme essential oil loaded nanostructured lipid carriers

• TEO was encapsulated by NLC and used for activation of zein/BSG electrospun NFs. • Effect of free and NLC form of TEO on properties of NFs was investigated. • The thermal, structural and mechanical properties of NFs improved by NLC addition. • The NFs activated by TEO and NLC-TEO exhibited good antioxidant activity. • The active NFs were able to increase the oxidative stability of flaxseed oil during storage. In this research, zein/basil seed gum (BSG) electrospun active nanofibers (NFs) incorporated with thyme essential oil (TEO) were prepared to extend the oxidative stability of flaxseed oil. TEO was used in two forms free and encapsulated with nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). According to Field Scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), the NFs with a Zein/BSG ratio of 85:15 was a desirable sample with the best morphology and the lowest fiber diameter (569 nm). According to Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), no new chemical interaction was confirmed during the electrospinning process. According to X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, the pure and active zein NFs didn't have a crystalline structure and were amorphous. The antioxidant activity of NFs estimated by DPPH scavenging analysis, was found to be in the range of 30–40 %. The fabricated NFs were placed in contact with flaxseed oil. Peroxide value (PV), DPPH scavenging activity, and oxidative stability index (OSI) were calculated over 45 days. The PV increased with increasing storage time ( p < 0.05), but this change was lower in oil in contact with NFs. A significant increment in DPPH scavenging activity and OSI was observed during the storage of flaxseed oil by active NFs. The results of the study indicate that the zein/BSG NFs incorporated with TEO-loaded NLC has the potential to extend the shelf life of fatty food products such as flaxseed oil.