Amphiphilic chitosan/carboxymethyl gellan gum composite films enriched with mustard essential oil for mango preservation

In this paper, amphiphilic chitosan and carboxymethyl modified gellan gum were synthesized to develop an active edible fresh-keeping material. The optimal weight ratio of CMCS-g-CA/CMGG was determined as 5:2 through the characterization of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), me-chanical and barrier properties of the composite films. In addition, the water vapor permeability and oxygen permeability of CMCS-g-CA/CMGG composite films incorporated with mustard essential oil were all declined, and the antibacterial property of the composite film solutions against E. coli, S. aureus and Bacillus anthracis was distinctly improved with the increase of mustard essential oil (MEO) dosage. Furthermore, the CMCS-g-CA/ CMGG + 2.0 mu L/mL MEO composite film exhibited an effective preservation on mango fruits during 20 days of storage based on the characterization of surface appearance and quality indexes of fruits. Hence, the multi-functional CMCA-g-CA/CMGG/MEO composite films can be served as a prospective eco-friendly packaging material for fruit preservation.

Automated summary

In this study, an active edible fresh-keeping material was developed using synthesized amphiphilic chitosan and carboxymethyl modified gellan gum. The optimal weight ratio of CMCS-g-CA/CMGG was determined as 5:2. The addition of mustard essential oil improved the water vapor and oxygen permeability of the composite films, and also enhanced the antibacterial properties against E. coli, S. aureus, and Bacillus anthracis. The CMCS-g-CA/CMGG + 2.0 mu L/mL MEO composite film effectively preserved mango fruits during 20 days of storage, making it a promising eco-friendly packaging material for fruit preservation.