Performance of Biodegradable Packaging Films Containing Essential Oils for Food Quality Maintenance

Abstract

Biodegradable packaging films have appeared as a promising alternative to conservative plastic packaging, offering significant environmental benefits and functional properties for food preservation. Essential oils (EOs), known for their natural antibacterial and antioxidant assets, have gained attention for their potential to increase food quality and shelf life while decreasing environmental effects. Its goal is to investigate how well biodegradable packaging sheets with essential oils function in terms of preserving food quality. Using solvent casting, films were created using biopolymeric materials and mixed with essential oils such as thyme, oregano, clove, rosemary, cinnamon, and lemon oil. The Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) test and the DPPH radical scavenging assay were used to measure antioxidant activity, which showed decreased oxidative degradation. A Universal Testing Machine (UTM) was used to assess mechanical parameters, such as tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EB), guaranteeing adequate flexibility and durability. To evaluate the moisture and oxygen barrier qualities, gravimetric sorption analysis, or GSA, was used. According to the results, the film extracts had 5%–8% less antioxidant activity than pure essential oils, according to the DPPH experiment. TBARS oxidation demonstrated that films containing essential oils significantly reduced oxidation (p < 0.05) compared to controls. Mechanical tests revealed a reduction in tensile strength and elongation at break (p < 0.05), but no significant effects on permeation or migration (p > 0.05). It highlights that biodegradable packaging films containing essential oils can enhance food safety, extend shelf life, and provide a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic packaging.