Bioactive Chitosan‐PVA‐TiO ₂ Nanocomposite Films Enriched With Lemongrass and Peppermint Essential Oils for Enhanced Active Food Packaging Performance

This study aims to explore the food preservation potential of bio‐based and biodegradable films developed from chitosan (CS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles, and peppermint essential oil (PEO) and/or lemongrass essential oil (LEO), using the solvent casting technique. The effects of varying essential oil concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%) on the physical, thermal, mechanical, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and barrier properties of the films were investigated through X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), a universal testing machine (UTM), the well diffusion assay, a water contact angle (WCA) goniometer, an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) analyzer and UV–vis spectrophotometry. The study also highlights a comparative evaluation of PEO, LEO, and their combination to assess their synergistic potential. TGA and mechanical analyses revealed enhanced thermal and mechanical properties, with T 50% increasing from 262.79 °C (pure CS) to 362.85 °C (CS/PVA/TiO 2 /PEO‐1.5), and tensile strength and elongation at break rising from 8.65 MPa and 19.07% (pure CS) to 17.10 MPa and 96.01% (CS/PVA/TiO 2 /LEO‐1.0), respectively. The films exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli , and Aspergillus niger , along with significantly enhanced antioxidant performance upon essential oil incorporation, particularly for the dual‐oil CS/PVA/TiO 2 /PLEO formulation (DPPH RSA: 57.6 ± 1.8%). The CS/PVA/TiO 2 /LEO‐1.0 film achieved complete biodegradation in soil within 8 weeks. Additionally, this film extended the shelf life of white bread to three weeks at 18 °C and 54% RH, outperforming both the CS/PVA/Castor oil/TiO 2 ‐0.3 film (optimized film from our previous study) and commercial polypropylene packaging. Overall, these findings highlight the synergistic incorporation of dual essential oils and TiO 2 nanoparticles as a sustainable approach to multifunctional active food packaging materials offering enhanced preservation and reduced environmental impact.