Fabrication and characterization of waste fish scale-derived gelatin/sodium alginate/carvacrol loaded ZIF-8 nanoparticles composite films with sustained antibacterial activity for active food packaging

An environmental-friendly composite films containing waste fish scale-derived gelatin (FSG), sodium alginate (SA) and carvacrol loaded ZIF-8 (CV@ZIF-8) nanoparticles were designed and fabricated to develop active food packaging materials capable of sustained antibacterial activity. The microstructure and physicochemical properties of the FSG/SA/CV@ZIF-8 composite films were investigated. The incorporation of CV@ZIF-8 into FSG/SA matrix significantly enhanced the UV-light blocking and the elongation at break, improved water resistance and reduced water vapor permeability, and improved the thermal stability of composite film. The FSG/SA/CV@ZIF-8 film not only exhibited strong antioxidant activity with DPPH radical scavenging rate of 92.35 %, but also showed the satisfactory and long-acting antibacterial ability against E. coli and S. aureus due to slow release of CV from composite film. Strawberry preservation experiment revealed that FSG/SA/CV@ZIF-8 film decelerated the texture deterioration and retarded the growth of spoilage microorganism, resulting in the prolonged shelf-life of 8 days under ambient condition, indicating its promising application prospect in food preservation packaging.