DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v28i1.200

Keywords: Fish gelatine, carboxymethyl cellulose, zinc oxide nanoparticles, composite films, food packaging

Abstract

Approximately 220 million metric tonnes of plastic wastes were produced in 2024, and this rises societal awareness regarding biodegradable and functional food packaging. Therefore, new antibacterial films were fabricated by blending fish gelatine (FG), carboxymethyl cellulose sugarcane bagasse (CMC SB), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and glycerol. The composite films were prepared at volume ratios of FG:CMC SB of 90:10, 70:30, and 50:50. Thickness, tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EAB), water vapour permeability (WVP), oxygen permeability (OP) and surface morphology of biofilms were studied to assess the films’ structural integrity and suitability. The antimicrobial activities were also evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Moreover, the fruit preservation efficacy of composite films was assessed under room temperature (27 °C) for 14 days. The addition of CMC SB and ZnO NPs significantly improved the TS and EAB of pure FG film by showing increments of 52.68% and 25.49%, respectively. The inhibition zone increased up to 1.80 cm (S. aureus) and 1.60 cm (E. coli). Overall, results from this work highlight the feasibility of composite films of FG/CMC SB reinforced with ZnO NPs as smart packaging films that can enhance the freshness and shelf life of food.