Xinhui Zhang, Donghong Liu, Tony Z.

Jin, Weijun Chen, Qiao He, Zhipeng Zou,

Huanhuan Zhao, Xingqian Ye, Mingming Guo,
Preparation and characterization of gellan gum-chitosan polyelectrolyte complex
films with the incorporation of thyme essential oil nanoemulsion,
Food Hydrocolloids,
Volume 114,
2021,
106570,
ISSN 0268-005X,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2020.106570.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268005X20329441)
Abstract: Antimicrobial food packaging with a sustained release of antimicrobial
agents plays a key role in maintaining food quality and food safety. In this study,
polyelectrolyte gellan gum (GG)-chitosan (CS) multilayer film was fabricated by
layer-by-layer assembly technology with the incorporation of thyme essential oil
(TEO) coarse emulsion (TEOC) or nanoemulsion (TEON). The microstructure of GG-CS
three-layered film was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The red
fluorescent signals in confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images indicated
smaller droplets and more uniform distribution of TEON prepared by ultrasonic
treatments, which was consistent with the particle size results and porous
structure in SEM images. The film incorporated with 6% TEON exhibited higher
antimicrobial activity than that with 6% TEOC, and it significantly reduced E. coli
populations in liquid model system. Moreover, films incorporated with TEON showed
improved mechanical flexibility (elongation at break) and UV blocking property in
comparison to TEOC. This developed GG-CS three-layered film loading with TEON was
expected to be a potential antimicrobial material with sustained release property
for food packaging applications.
Keywords: Polyelectrolyte multilayer film; Gellan gum; Chitosan; Thyme oil
emulsion; Physiochemical properties; Antimicrobial packaging