Development of UV-resistant carboxymethyl cellulose/ZnO NPs based nanocomposite films derived from Zea mays husk and reinforced with Ananas comosus peel extract for active food packaging

• Zea mays husk-derived CMC/ ZnO-NPs/APE were used to develop active packaging films. • The physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity were evaluated. • ZnO-NPs and APE improved the films' UV-blocking and antioxidant properties. • The films degraded 96–99% naturally under environmental conditions. • CMC-ZnO-APE films exhibited strong potential for food packaging applications. The increasing environmental burden of petroleum-based packaging underscores the need for biodegradable materials with enhanced functional performance. This study reports the development of composite films from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) derived from Zea mays husk, reinforced with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and Ananas comosus peel extract (APE). Films were fabricated using a fixed ZnO-NPs concentration (5 wt% relative to CMC) and varying APE contents (5–15% wt% relative to CMC), and their physicochemical, structural, and functional properties were systematically evaluated. The findings indicated that the CMC-ZnO-APE 10% film exhibited optimal performance, with tensile strength increasing to 26.05 MPa, and water vapor permeability decreased by 32%, along with lower moisture sensitivity, enhanced thermal stability with degradation onset above 200°C, and near-complete UV shielding. Antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging) increased to 45.99%, while effective antimicrobial inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was observed. Additionally, high biodegradability of the polymeric matrix was achieved, with over 96% weight loss after three weeks of soil burial. Structural analyses confirmed uniform nanoparticle dispersion within the CMC matrix. These findings advance the novelty of valorizing Zea mays husk and Ananas comosus peel into high-performance, biodegradable films with strong potential for sustainable food packaging applications.