Fabrication of polylactic acid-based active packaging incorporating rhamnolipid-stabilized essential oil emulsion for post-harvest banana preservation and shelf-life enhancement
摘要
In this study, a rhamnolipid-stabilized essential oil emulsion (RSEO) was incorporated into the poly-lactic acid (PLA) matrix, where rhamnolipid functioned both as a biosurfactant to stabilize the emulsion and as a bioactive component enhancing the functional properties of the composite films. The optimized PLA–RSEO film containing 0.4% RSEO exhibited enhanced mechanical, barrier, and functional properties. The film showed an elongation at break of 14.92% and tensile strength of 57.25 MPa. Barrier performance also improved, with water vapour permeability reduced to 4.76 × 10−11 g m−2 s−1 Pa−1 and oxygen transmission rate decreased to 12.25 cm3 mm m−2 day−1. The film demonstrated strong bioactivity, showing 81% antioxidant capacity and 94.4% antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus. When applied to post-harvest banana storage, the film effectively delayed ripening, limiting weight loss to 5.27% and maintaining firmness (5.12 N), soluble solids (9.32%), and starch content (19.85%) after 13 days, indicating improved preservation performance.