Preparation, Characterization, and Antioxidant Properties Study of Proanthocyanidin‐Enhanced Dialdehyde Cellulose‐Gelatin Nanocomposite Films

Conventional plastic materials used in food packaging are difficult to degrade, leading to severe white pollution, and may release harmful substances, causing environmental contamination and posing risks to both ecosystem and human health. In this study, a novel crosslinked composite film system was developed based on a network structure formed between dialdehyde cellulose (DAC), obtained by oxidizing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), and gelatin (Ge). Proanthocyanidin (PAC) was incorporated as an active agent to achieve controllable antioxidant activity. The resulting composite film exhibited a maximum free radical scavenging rate of 87.89% when the PAC content reached 0.3%. Furthermore, the DAC/Ge&PAC composite films demonstrated a dense structure and good thermal stability. Among them, the film containing 0.1% PAC showed optimal mechanical properties. Different types of cross‐linked composite film systems were prepared using modified cellulose as the reinforcing agent, and the basic properties of the composite films as well as their performance in practical applications were investigated.