Enhanced ultraviolet barrier, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of chitosan-based films incorporated with caffeic acid–grafted inulin for strawberry preservation
Wenqiang Tan, Yuxiang Li, Xuming Guo, Lijie Wei, Jia Duan, Zhen Qi, Yuting Yuan, Qiuhong Chen, Zhanyong Guo
Abstract
Active packaging films fabricated from chitosan have recently emerged as a promising candidate for food packaging and preservation. In this study, caffeic acid-grafted inulin (CA-g-In) was successfully prepared as a bioactive additive, and chitosan-based composite films incorporated with different amounts of CA-g-In were developed. The effects of CA-g-In incorporation in modulating the physical, antioxidant and antibacterial functionalities of the films were also explored. The incorporation of CA-g-In significantly increased the tensile strength, elongation at break and opacity of the films. Moreover, the composite films exhibited excellent ultraviolet barrier power, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability, reducing capacity and antibacterial activity, which were proportional to the CA-g-In content. Finally, the composite films were evaluated for their practical use in strawberry preservation, achieving reduced strawberry decay and extending strawberry shelf life. The findings indicated that chitosan-based films enriched with suitable content of CA-g-In could serve as effective and eco-friendly packaging materials for food preservation.