Essential oil-loaded nanocapsules and their application on PBAT biodegradable films

Active biodegradable packaging is an important area. The shelf life increased in packaged food, minimizing the disposal of solid waste. In this work, different chitosan nanocapsules (CN-EO) content (2, 5, and 8 wt%) loaded with cinnamon essential oil (EO) were prepared and used as active agents in poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) films. The prepared samples were characterized by chemical, physical-chemical, mechanical, and biological properties. The CN-EO presented monodispersed sizes from 20 to 100 nm and spherical shape. The nanocapsules showed biological activity due to the synergistic antibacterial efficiency of chitosan and essential oil, and when applied to the films, it promoted inhibition against E. coli. The highest CN-EO (8 wt%) improved the films' mechanical properties, which can be associated with strong interactions between the materials and the increase in PBAT crystallinity. The changes in films' crystallinity and capsules content influenced the oil release and, consequently, antimicrobial properties. The films showed good potential for food packaging application, being an alternative to conventional packaging's environmental problems. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.