| The purpose of the present research was to fabricate ethylcellulose (ECL)/polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin (GEL)
electrospun nanofbers containing Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZEO) and zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO) to
provide an appropriate substrate for food packaging. The ECL/PCL/GEL was incorporated with ZEO and ZnO at
the concentrations of 10, 20, 30 and 50 wt% and 3 wt%, respectively. The results of ECL/PCL/GEL/ZEO/ZnO
nanofber exhibited uniform morphology with a mean diameter ranging from 361.85 ± 18.7 to 467.33 ± 14.50
nm and enhanced thermal stability. The ECL/PCL/GEL/ZEO/ZnO nanofber had the highest mechanical parameters, such as young's modulus (437.49 ± 18), tensile strength (7.88 ± 0.7), and elongation at break (5.02 ±
0.6) and water contact angle (61.13 ± 0.5), compared with the other nanofbers. The cell viability during 48 and
72 h was obtained to be about more than 80% for all the nanofbers. Additionally, the ECL/PCL/GEL incorporated with 50% ZEO and 3% ZnO displayed the highest antioxidant activity (34.61 ± 1.98%) and antifungal
properties against Penicillium notatum and Aspergillus niger. In general, the ECL/PCL/GEL with the weight ratio of
20:70:10 nanofber incorporated with 30% ZEO and 3% ZnO was obtained to have appropriate mechanical,
antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties and thermal stability |