Development of Active PCL/β-Glucan Films Enriched with Natural Extracts and Gold Nanoparticles for Packaging of Cold Plasma-Treated Fish Paste

Document Type : Research Article-en

Authors

Amirafshar Asdagh

Sajad Pirsa

Mir Khalil Pirouzifard

Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/ifstrj.2025.96443.1508

Abstract

Growing concerns about conventional plastic packaging due to its non-degradability, risk of transferring toxic compounds to food, and environmental pollution have necessitated the development of environmentally friendly alternatives such as edible and biodegradable films. This study aimed to develop an active packaging system based on a polycaprolactone/beta-glucan (PCL-BG) nanocomposite film modified with oak fruit pair extract (OFPE), apricot kernel extract (AKE), and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and study its suitability for packaging fish paste treated with cold plasma. The evaluation of the film's antibacterial properties showed that the active compounds had a strong inhibitory effect, with the largest inhibition zones of 27.78 mm against Bacillus cereus and 21.38 mm against Escherichia coli observed in the film prepared with the highest extract concentration. Thermal analysis (DSC) showed a significant improvement in thermal stability, with the melting temperature of the final composite film increasing to 81.6 °C. Microbiological and chemical evaluations over 30 days of storage showed that the combined treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced microbial growth (Total Viable Count), reduced the production of volatile nitrogen compounds (TVB-N), controlled lipid oxidation (TBA), and maintained pH stability and sensory acceptance. Regression models for all quality parameters showed high accuracy and predictive power (R² > 99.27%). This study clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the combined strategy of cold plasma and active packaging in maintaining the quality and increasing the shelf life of fish paste.

Keywords

Active packaging

Antibacterial

Biodegradable film

Cold plasma

Subjects

• Food Chemistry

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