Effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial, barrier, mechanical, and UV-protective properties of pectin-beeswax films for food packaging applications

Incorporating active compounds into packaging films is a promising approach for improving their mechanical and physical properties while also showing desirable antimicrobial functionality. Citral (CI) is an active compound with the potential to improve food packaging functionality. This study aimed...

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Main Author: Mahboobeh Kashiri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-12-01
Series:Applied Food Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502225003592
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author Mahboobeh Kashiri
author_facet Mahboobeh Kashiri
author_sort Mahboobeh Kashiri
collection DOAJ
description Incorporating active compounds into packaging films is a promising approach for improving their mechanical and physical properties while also showing desirable antimicrobial functionality. Citral (CI) is an active compound with the potential to improve food packaging functionality. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of CI on the structural, physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of pectin-beeswax composite films. The results indicated that the incorporation of CI significantly influenced the films' optical, physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties. The sample with 1.5 % CI exhibited the highest opacity (22.61 ± 0.65), while the control sample had the lowest opacity (10.09 ± 0.65). Atomic Force Microscopy images revealed that increasing CI concentration (from 1 % to 1.5 %) led to a notable increase in surface roughness (Ra). Additionally, water vapor permeability increased with higher CI concentrations. Mechanical results showed that unlike the incorporation of 1.5 % CI, the presence of 1 % CI improved the flexibility of the composite films. As well as significantly reducing the UV protection of pectin-beeswax films (approximately 77 %). The antimicrobial activity of pectin-beeswax composite films with 1 % CI was evaluated in both food model and real systems. The log reduction values against L. innocua (3.07 Log) and Escherichia coli (2.46 Log) were significantly more than those observed in the solid food model system (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the antimicrobial efficacy of the applied coating on sausage proved more effective than that applied on fresh hazelnut. Based on these findings, pectin-beeswax composite films containing 1 % CI are proposed as a promising food packaging material with UV-protective and antimicrobial properties for coating on sausage.
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spelling doaj-art-a8cd5367b5954d068aae91624348bfd72025-08-20T03:27:01ZengElsevierApplied Food Research2772-50222025-12-015210105110.1016/j.afres.2025.101051Effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial, barrier, mechanical, and UV-protective properties of pectin-beeswax films for food packaging applicationsMahboobeh Kashiri0Department of Food Science and Technology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, IranIncorporating active compounds into packaging films is a promising approach for improving their mechanical and physical properties while also showing desirable antimicrobial functionality. Citral (CI) is an active compound with the potential to improve food packaging functionality. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of CI on the structural, physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of pectin-beeswax composite films. The results indicated that the incorporation of CI significantly influenced the films' optical, physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties. The sample with 1.5 % CI exhibited the highest opacity (22.61 ± 0.65), while the control sample had the lowest opacity (10.09 ± 0.65). Atomic Force Microscopy images revealed that increasing CI concentration (from 1 % to 1.5 %) led to a notable increase in surface roughness (Ra). Additionally, water vapor permeability increased with higher CI concentrations. Mechanical results showed that unlike the incorporation of 1.5 % CI, the presence of 1 % CI improved the flexibility of the composite films. As well as significantly reducing the UV protection of pectin-beeswax films (approximately 77 %). The antimicrobial activity of pectin-beeswax composite films with 1 % CI was evaluated in both food model and real systems. The log reduction values against L. innocua (3.07 Log) and Escherichia coli (2.46 Log) were significantly more than those observed in the solid food model system (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the antimicrobial efficacy of the applied coating on sausage proved more effective than that applied on fresh hazelnut. Based on these findings, pectin-beeswax composite films containing 1 % CI are proposed as a promising food packaging material with UV-protective and antimicrobial properties for coating on sausage.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502225003592BeeswaxCitralPectinHazelnutsSausageUV protection
spellingShingle Mahboobeh Kashiri
Effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial, barrier, mechanical, and UV-protective properties of pectin-beeswax films for food packaging applications
Applied Food Research
Beeswax
Citral
Pectin
Hazelnuts
Sausage
UV protection
title Effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial, barrier, mechanical, and UV-protective properties of pectin-beeswax films for food packaging applications
title_full Effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial, barrier, mechanical, and UV-protective properties of pectin-beeswax films for food packaging applications
title_fullStr Effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial, barrier, mechanical, and UV-protective properties of pectin-beeswax films for food packaging applications
title_full_unstemmed Effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial, barrier, mechanical, and UV-protective properties of pectin-beeswax films for food packaging applications
title_short Effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial, barrier, mechanical, and UV-protective properties of pectin-beeswax films for food packaging applications
title_sort effect of citral incorporation on the antimicrobial barrier mechanical and uv protective properties of pectin beeswax films for food packaging applications
topic Beeswax
Citral
Pectin
Hazelnuts
Sausage
UV protection
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502225003592
work_keys_str_mv AT mahboobehkashiri effectofcitralincorporationontheantimicrobialbarriermechanicalanduvprotectivepropertiesofpectinbeeswaxfilmsforfoodpackagingapplications