Effect of storage time on major physical properties and microbial growth and adhesion inhibitory performance of chitosan-based film enriched with cinnamon and clove essential oils
摘要
The development and evaluation of biodegradable and functional films has become a growing trend. However, the effect of storage time on active film characteristics and its efficiency has not been considered. Hence, we aimed to assess the performance of the chitosan-based films (C-films) incorporating cinnamon and clove essential oils (EOs) during 60 days of storage in the dark at 4 °C and 45% RH. The optical visualization of the C-films revealed a regression in the size and color of the EOs droplets over time. Furthermore, the 60 days stored-C-films displayed a decrease in transparency, thickness (by about 10 μm), weight (by less than 30%), water barrier (WVTR increased by less than 10 g/h.m2), stretching ability, and total phenolic content (TPC). Regarding bioactivities, the C-films exhibited a considerable and sustainable antioxidant action, where the percentages of radical scavenging were higher than 75%. Similarly, all C-films generated an inhibition zone with a diameter of 8 to 19 mm when tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus hirae. In addition, the storage process did not affect the considerable antiadhesion effect of the C-films except against S. aureus. Ultimately, the computational test indicated a good affinity between the microbial proteins that are implicated in biofilm formation and the main compounds of the utilized EOs. These encouraging results validate the sustainable performance of the C-films, especially the one enriched with cinnamon EO, and highlight their potential utilization as bioactive packaging for long-lasting products.