Polyvinyl (alcohol)/chitosan active film supplemented with Sonneratia ovata extract and Piper betel L. oil for fresh-cut beef preservation

This work is to produce multi-functional active film from polyvinyl (alcohol)/chitosan (PCs) supplemented with Sonneratia ovata leaf extract (SOE) and Piper betel L. oil (PBLO). Our finding showed yellowish SOE-added PCs film with the compact structure possessing lower swelling degree (SD) (22.48%) and higher mechanical strength (5.05 MPa) as compared to the neat PCs (35.43% and 3.18 MPa, respectively). While the co-supplementation with PBLO at different ratios significantly increased SD between 50.97% and 104.08% due to the more open structure. UV-barrier, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of PCs film were significantly revitalized with co-supplementation of SOE and PBLO. The PCs/SOE1/PBLO0.5 film presented better force resistance (5.51 MPa) and flexibility (87.12%) than other film formulations with balanced antibacterial and antioxidant properties and hence, it was further applied for preserving fresh-cut beef for 14 days at 4 & DEG;C. Changes in visual appearance, drip loss, and pH of fresh-cut beef during storage period indicated better protective efficacy of PCs/SOE1/PBLO0.5 film as compared to polyethylene (PE), PCs, and SOE-added PCs materials, suggesting its promisingly potential for food packaging application.

Automated summary

This study aimed to produce multi-functional active film by adding Sonneratia ovata leaf extract (SOE) and Piper betel L. oil (PBLO) to polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan (PCs). The results showed that the SOE-added PCs film had a compact structure and exhibited lower swelling degree and higher mechanical strength compared to the neat PCs. The co-supplementation of PBLO increased the swelling degree due to the more open structure and improved the UV-barrier, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of the PCs film.