Abstract This study aimed to introduce Eremurus persicus (Serish) as a novel source of polysaccharide-based electrospun nanofibers, while simultaneously mitigating its inherent bitterness via menthol encapsulation. Due to its high viscosity and gel-like behavior, Serish required the incorporation of a co-spinning agent, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), to enable electrospinning.Solutions with varying Serish-to-PVA ratios (volume ratios of 2:8 to 8:2) were prepared to systematically evaluate their effects on surface tension, electrical conductivity, zeta potential, and rheological properties. Increasing the Serish content resulted in a progressive increase in electrical conductivity and zeta potential, reaching maximum values of 2079.6 ± 0.53 μS/cm and −9.85 ± 0.07 mV, respectively. However, electrospinning was no longer feasible beyond a 5:5 vol ratio due to excessive viscosity and surface tension. The 3:7 vol ratio yielded nanofibers with the smallest average diameter (310.06 ± 15.48 nm) and the most uniform morphology. The optimized nanofibers were subsequently loaded with menthol at concentrations of 1.5 g/100 g and 3.0 g/100 g. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of physical interactions between menthol and the polymer matrix, while XRD revealed a predominantly amorphous structure, facilitating rapid dissolution. DSC analysis demonstrated enhanced thermal stability of encapsulated menthol. The 3.0 g/100 g menthol-loaded nanofibers exhibited a loading capacity of 88.54% and achieved ∼90% release within 80 s, following a Fickian-dominated mechanism based on the Peppas–Sahlin model. Sensory evaluation indicated enhanced flavor persistence in samples with higher menthol content. These findings highlight the potential of Serish/PVA nanofibers as fast-dissolving delivery systems for food and pharmaceutical applications, particularly where rapid release and improved sensory performance are required.

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