This study introduces a novel food-grade hybrid aerogel fabricated using electrospun short core-shell nanofibers, with zein as the shell and sage seed gum/polyvinyl alcohol containing pomegranate peel anthocyanin as the core. The research evaluated different flow rate ratios of zein to sage seed gum (QZ/QSSG: 1.5, 3, 6), zein concentrations (25 %, 27.5 %, 30 % w/v), and applied voltages (20 kV and 25 kV), identifying optimal conditions at 30 % zein concentration and 25 kV voltage. Morphological analysis via FESEM and TEM revealed that increasing the QZ/QSSG enlarged fiber diameters from 264 nm to 391 nm. Nanofibers at QZ/QSSG: 3 showed the highest surface roughness, while those at QZ/QSSG: 6 had the greatest hydrophobicity, indicated by a water contact angle of 108.5°. Coaxial electrospinning improved fiber crystallinity, and the QZ/QSSG: 3 sample exhibited superior thermal stability at 316.1 °C. FTIR confirmed uniform polymer distribution without chemical interactions. The fibers demonstrated adequate pH sensitivity, and encapsulation efficiency increased from 87.11 % to 96.17 % as the flow rate ratios rose from 1.5 to 6. Freeze-dried nanofiber-based aerogels showed that the Z/SSG 6 sample had the most uniform anthocyanin distribution, the lowest porosity (50.16 %), the highest hardness (276.91 g), and the lowest density (0.018 g/cm3). Moisture sorption tests demonstrated a maximum water uptake of 90.05 % for the Z/SSG 1.5 aerogel. These findings highlighted the potential of this approach to produce biodegradable, food-grade aerogels with enhanced encapsulation efficiency, porosity, and mechanical properties, suitable for applications in food packaging and pharmaceuticals.

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