Development of Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) Nut Starch Films Containing Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) Leaf Essential Oil

There have been many studies on the development biodegradable films using starch isolated from various food sources as a substitute for synthetic plastic packaging films. In this study, starch was extracted from ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) nuts, which were mainly discarded and considered an environment hazard. The prepared starch (GBS) was then used for the preparation of antioxidant films by incorporating various amounts of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) essential oil (CZEO), which provides antioxidant activity. The prepared GBS films with CZEO were characterized by measuring physical, optical, and thermal properties, along with antioxidant activity (ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP) measurements. With the increasing amount of CZEO, the flexibility and antioxidant activities of the GBS films increased proportionally, whereas the tensile strength of the films decreased. The added CZEO also increased the water vapor permeability of the GBS films, and the microstructure of the GBS films was homogeneous overall. Therefore, the obtained results indicate that the developed GBS films containing CZEO are applicable as antioxidant food packaging.

Automated summary

The study focused on developing antioxidant films using starch extracted from ginkgo nuts and incorporating cinnamon essential oil. The results showed that the flexibility and antioxidant activities of the films increased with higher levels of cinnamon essential oil, while the tensile strength decreased. The films also had increased water vapor permeability and a homogeneous microstructure, indicating potential for their use in antioxidant food packaging.