Chitosan/pectin bio-composite films enriched with bioactive fraction of Acalypha indica L. as active packaging: a comparative assessment of postharvest fruit quality

Food packaging is important for protecting the quality, safety and preservation of food products to preserve them from contamination and spoilage. This study describes an innovative antioxidant, and antimicrobial edible film was produced by combinations of chitosan, pectin and active fraction of Acalypha indica L. (Chi/Pec/AF). The blended films revealed the highest antioxidant activity using DPPH (87.70%) assay compared to control film (76.9%). In antimicrobial activity, film matrix showed strong antibacterial action in the Staphylococcus aureus (41 mm) and Escherichia coli (36 mm) compared to other films showed moderate inhibitions. Further, edible films were characterized by FTIR to reveal the existence of distinctive functional groups in the edible films, differentiating them from the control films. The XRD measurements indicated that the films possessed an amorphous structure. Additionally, SEM investigations elucidated the structural morphology of the films. Moreover, results indicated that the chitosan-pectin matrix significantly reduced water vapor permeability to 4.21 (× 10^-11 gs^-1 m^-1 Pa^-1) compared to the control film 5.21 (× 10^-11 gs^-1 m^-1 Pa^-1). Biodegradability tests under soil composting conditions for nine days indicated that the Chi/Pec/AF film exhibited greater degradation compared to the control films. To assess practical application, the edible films were tested on fresh-cut apple slices and showed prolonged shelf life at 4℃ for 7 days. The Chi/Pec/AF film effectively showed reduced weight loss, enhanced freshness, suppressed browning and confirming its superior preservation capability. Overall, this study highlights the potential of Chi/Pec/AF composite films as promising food packaging materials due to their antimicrobial, antioxidative and biodegradable properties.