Cinnamon Essential Oil-Loaded Halloysite Nanotubes Applied in Degradable Film: Characterization and Non-Contact Antimicrobial Activity

To extend food shelf life and reduce plastic pollution, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were employed as a carrier to load cinnamon essential oils (CEOs), and the nanotubes were blended with polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate (PBAT) resin to fabricate the film with non-contact antimicrobial activity. The results showed that the HNTs had a high loading efficiency (about 11%) for CEOs. The retention rate of CEOs in HNTs was still 33% after twenty days later, which indicated that the CEOs/HNTs nanoparticles had a long-acting controlled-released effect. The composite films represented excellent mechanical properties and antibacterial effects against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i> due to the non-contact antimicrobial activity of CEOs. The strawberries remained fresh after five days when the composite film was applied in the packaging of strawberries, which proves that composite films can extend the shelf life of food. Therefore, it has potential application prospects in the food industry.