Active chitosan film containing single and double nanoemulsions of Oliveira decumbens Vent essential oil/anthocyanin of eggplant for chicken preservation
Shima Shiryanpour, Leila Nouri, Mohammad Malek Faizal Azizi, Ali Najafi, Abdorreza Mohammadi Nafchi
Abstract
This study aimed to develop and characterize chitosan-based edible films reinforced with free, single (SNE), and double nanoemulsions (DNE) of Oliveria decumbens essential oil (OE) and eggplant anthocyanins (EA), and to evaluate their effectiveness in preserving chicken fillets. The incorporation of OE and EA in nanoemulsion forms significantly enhanced physicochemical, mechanical, and antioxidant properties of the films. Films containing DNE exhibited the highest antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Chicken fillets coated with DNE films showed significantly lower pH (6.23 vs. 6.85), reduced total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N: 18.5 vs. 31.2 mg N/100 g), and microbial counts (e.g., total viable count: 4.6 vs. 7.8 log CFU/g) after 16 days of storage at 4°C, compared to the control. This formulation extended the shelf life by at least 8 days while maintaining sensory acceptability. These findings suggest that OE/EA-loaded chitosan films, especially in DNE form, are effective active packaging materials for meat preservation.