Origanum majorana essential oil-enriched collagen/K-carrageenan films with enhanced thermal, hydrophobic, anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties for active Packaging

This research focused on the development of collagen/k-carrageenan based films loaded with Marjoram essential oil (MEO) for active food packaging. Key findings highlighted that elevating MEO concentrations (0.1–1 %) resulted in a notable reduction in the tensile strength (20.41 ± 0.55 to 7.25 ± 0.53 MPa), swelling index (798 ± 9 to 638 ± 25 %), and moisture content (23.50 ± 0.31 to 19.13 ± 0.86 %) of the films while simultaneously increasing the elasticity (11.11 ± 1.69 to 51.21 ± 2.80 %) and water vapor permeability from 0.206 ± 0.008 to 0.507 ± 0.013 (g∗mm)/(m²∗h∗kPa). The DPPH radical inhibition activity of films increased from 21.03 % to 52.53 %, while the ABTS cation radical inhibition activity rose from 42.90 % to 68.29 % with the addition of MEO. Furthermore, anti-microbial assays showed significant efficacy of films loaded with highest concentration of MEO against common food-borne pathogens including P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. In addition, the water contact angle measurement analyses revealed that the inclusion of MEO contributed to an increase in the hydrophobicity of the films. Moreover, thermal analysis also revealed the improved thermal stability of the films with the addition of MEO. These findings demonstrate the potential of MEO-loaded films as a potential active packaging material, offering a biodegradable and eco-friendly solution to address the limitations of conventional plastics.