Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Gelatin Hydrogel Films Loaded with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Sustainable Food Packaging Applications

Abstract

The current research work presented the synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose-gelatin (CMC/GEL) blend and CMC/GEL/ZnO-Nps hydrogel films which were characterized by FT-IR and XRD, and applied to antibacterial and antioxidant activities for food preservation as well as for biomedical applications. ZnO-Nps were incorporated into the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and gelatin (GEL) film-forming solution by solution casting followed by sonication. Homogenous mixing of ZnO-Nps with CMC/GEL blend improved thermal stability, mechanical properties, and moisture content of the neat CMC/GEL films. Further, a significant improvement was observed in the antibacterial activity and antioxidant properties of CMC/GEL/ZnO films against two food pathogens, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli.</i> Overall, CMC/GEL/ZnO films are eco-friendly and can be applied in sustainable food packaging materials.