Encapsulation of T4 bacteriophage in electrospun poly(ethylene oxide)/cellulose diacetate fibers.

Phage therapy is a potentially beneficial approach to food preservation and storage. Sustained delivery of bacteriophage can prevent bacterial growth on contaminated food surfaces. Using coaxial electrospinning bacteriophage can be encapsulated in electrospun fibers with high viability. The resulting bio-based electrospun fibers may have potential as a food packaging material. In the present work, T4 bacteriophage (T4 phage) was incorporated into core/shell electrospun fibers made from poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), cellulose diacetate (CDA), and their blends. Fibers prepared using PEO as the shell polymer showed an immediate burst release of T4 phage upon submersion in buffer. The blending of CDA with PEO significantly decreased the rate of phage release, with no released T4 phage being detected from the solely CDA fibers. Increasing the PEO molecular weight increased the electrospun fiber diameter and viscosity of the releasing medium, which resulted in a relatively slower T4 phage release profile. SEM analyses of the electrospun fiber morphologies were in good agreement with the T4 phage release profiles. Depending on the PEO/CDA ratio, the post-release electrospun fiber morphologies varied from discontinuous fibers to minimally swollen fibers. From these results it is suggested that the T4 phage release mechanism is through solvent activation/polymer dissolution in the case of the PEO fibers and/or by diffusion control from the PEO/CDA blend fibers.