Citrus pectin films enriched with thinned young apple polyphenols for potential use as bio-based active packaging

The present work was aimed at developing and characterizing biodegradable citrus pectin films incorporated with young apple polyphenols (YAPs). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy analysis (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were performed to get acquaintance with the structure of the pectin/YAP films. An increase of tensile strength (TS) and elastic modulus (EM) accompanied with a decrease in elongation at break (% EB) was observed with YAP. FTIR spectrometry exhibited the emergence of new absorbance peak at 1520 cm−1, suggesting some interactions between both constituents of films. An increase in thermal stability of films was also observed by the inclusion of YAP into the film. Moreover, SEM analysis revealed that YAPs were homogenously distributed across pectin matrix. The antioxidant potential of the films was amplified by incorporating YAP. The microbiological assessment of the films confirmed the antimicrobial efficiency of newly developed films against three major food-borne pathogens.