Eco-friendly antioxidant carboxymethyl cellulose /pectin films incorporating oregano essential oil and vanillic acid for tomato shelf-life extension

The widespread use of conventional non-degradable packaging films for fruit preservation has led to serious environmental concerns, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable, biodegradable, and multifunctional packaging materials. Herein, we developed a carboxymethyl cellulose/pectin/oregano essential oil/vanillic acid (CMC/pectin/OEO/VA) film, in which hydrogen bonding between CMC and pectin hydroxyl groups enhances structural integrity and mechanical properties, further strengthened by VA, while phenolic compounds such as carvacrol and thymol in OEO provide antioxidant and antimicrobial functions. The optimized CMC/Pectin/OEO/VA0.06 (CPOV0.06) films demonstrate outstanding comprehensive performance, including excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength: 49.24 MPa), remarkable antioxidant capacity (DPPH radical scavenging rate: 85.87 %), significant antimicrobial effects ( E. coli : 6.33 mm, S. aureus : 6.00 mm), and complete biodegradability (soil assimilation time: 10 days). In addition, the blend film effectively prolonged the shelf life of cherry tomatoes up to 19 days under ambient storage conditions. This film offers a sustainable packaging approach, effectively addressing both food preservation and plastic pollution challenges.