Chitosan composite films based on tea seed oil nano-microcapsules: Antibacterial, antioxidant and physicochemical properties

The use of nanotechnology has contributed to conquer the disadvantages of oil-loaded food packaging by altering their properties. In this study, chitosan (CS) composite films were fabricated using a novel nano-encapsulation system: ethanol extract of propolis (EEP)-phosphatidylcholine (PC)-tea seed oil (TSO) nano-microcapsules. X-ray diffraction results indicated that the nano-microcapsules were biocompatible with CS. Uniformly dispersed EEP-PC-TSO nano-microcapsules in CS improved the UV-blocking ability, thermal stability, structural densification, yellowing, and water vapor permeability of the composite films, the release of TSO occurs gradually and under controlled conditions. Compared with a simple mixture film of CS/PC/TSO/EEP, the CS film based on nano-microcapsules containing EEP-PC-TSO was more effective at reducing total bacterial count, thiobarbituric acid reactants (TBARS), and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) values, extending the shelf life of pork tenderloin. In summary, this CS composite film based on EEP-PC-TSO nano-microcapsules could be applied as a potential preservative film for food packaging.