Compositions of both soluble and insoluble fractions of gum exudates from the trunk and branches of sweet almond tree (Amygdalus communis L. ) were investigated using HPLC, FTIR, XRD, GPC and TGA. After this, the fabrication of vanillin incorporated almond gum/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers through electrospinning has been investigated. Characterization of nanofibers was investigated using FESEM, FTIR, TGA and XRD. The release mechanisms and kinetics of incorporated vanillin were evaluated in different aqueous food simulants (distilled water, 10% ethanol, 50% ethanol and 3% acetic acid) and simulated saliva. Vanillin release data were fitted to first order, Kopcha, Korsmeyer-Peppas and Peppas-Sahlin models to evaluate release mechanisms and kinetics. It was found that the aqueous solution of almond gum/PVA (80:20, concentration=7% (w/w)) containing 3% (w/w) vanillin could have successfully electrospun to uniform nanofibers with diameters as low as 77 nm. According to the thermal analysis, incorporated vanillin in almond gum/PVA nanofibers showed higher thermal stability than free vanillin, making this composite especially suitable for high temperature applications. Release kinetics of vanillin in all mentioned media followed a pseudo-Fickian diffusion mechanism. Nanofibers showed relatively good stability under dry ambient condition and maintained around 58 percentage of the incorporated vanillin for 90 days.
