Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria

Background. Chitosan (CS) films have gained significant attention and have been extensively utilized in diverse applications, notably in food preservation, owing to their safety and eco-friendliness.
Material and methods. In this study, we evaluated CS films combined with Chúc peel essential oil (EO) at concentrations of 0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% (v/v). A range of evaluation methods, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as assessments of antioxidant activity and physical properties (thickness, opacity, color, permeability, swelling, and solubility), were employed based on their respective application purposes.
Results. The results demonstrated that with increasing EO concentration, the film’s thickness, opacity, tensile measurement, and antioxidant activity exhibited a concomitant increase. However, the film’s surface presented an increasing degree of unevenness and roughness; in addition, the results also showed that permeability increases steadily with an increase in EO concentration. Such an increase in permeability may not be advantageous for food preservation applications. Interestingly, color variations across the samples were minimal, with all displaying a slight yellow hue, consistent with the film’s swelling degree (SD). Spectroscopic analysis further corroborated that no new or different bonds were formed among the various samples. Furthermore, the film’s crystallization capability exhibited variations contingent on the EO concentrations.
Conclusion. Adding Chúc EO to the CS strongly affects the properties of the film. Depending on usage needs, we can adjust different concentrations of EOs to create films with desired properties.