Development and characterization of plant oil-incorporated carboxymethyl cellulose/bacterial cellulose/glycerol-based antimicrobial edible films for food packaging applications

This study is aimed to develop ‘green’ bacterial cellulose (BC)-based bioactive and biocompatible food packaging material by using plant oils (olive oil and ginger oil) as antimicrobial agents. A composite film containing 2 wt.% BC slurry, 30% wt.% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and 30% wt.% glycerol (Gly) was ex-situ developed and separately impregnated with 1–2 wt.% olive oil and ginger oil. FE-SEM observation showed the successful incorporation of oils and Gly into the fibrous cellulose matrix. FTIR analysis showed chemical interaction between the components of BC/CMC/Gly/Oil film. The developed olive oil and ginger oil-based films showed good water solubility up to 37.5% and 41.08%, respectively. Both types of films did not show any toxicity toward the NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. The BC/CMC/Gly/Olive oil edible film showed good antimicrobial activity against three bacterial strains ( Staphylococcus aureus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Escherichia coli ) and two fungal strains ( Candida albicans and Trichosporon sp.) by producing clear inhibition zones of 0.1 cm, 0.1 cm, 0.22 cm, 0.08 cm, and 0.15 cm, respectively, after 24 h, while the BC/CMC/Gly/Ginger oil film respectively produced inhibition zones of 0.1 cm, 0.11 cm, 0.1 cm, 0.04 cm, and 0.05 cm after 24 h. The coating of oranges and tomatoes with BC/CMC/Gly/Oil prevented their spoilage and weight loss and increased their shelf-life at various storage temperatures. The results showed acceptable sensory characteristics such as odor and color at different storage temperatures up to 9 weeks. The findings of this study indicate that the developed BC/CMC/Gly/Oil composite films could be potentially used in developing edible packaging materials. Graphical abstract ToC. Development of ‘green’ plant oil-incorporated BC-based biocompatible, biodegradable, bioactive, and nontoxic food packaging materials