Assessing the impact of chañar and green tea extracts on pectin active packaging for extended food preservation

Pectin active films for food packaging were prepared using polyphenol-enriched natural extracts of chañar (Geoffroea decorticans, MeGd) fruit flour and green tea (Camellia sinensis, AqGTd) leaf decoction. For comparison, a natural antioxidant such as ascorbic acid (Ascorbic) was used. The effect of these extracts on the structural, mechanical, optical and functional properties of active food packaging was studied. It was shown that MeGd and AqGTd extracts formed secondary interactions with pectin functional groups. These extracts improved the ductility of active films through plasticizing and crosslinking mechanisms, respectively. In addition, they caused the appearance of coloration in the film while maintaining transparency and prolonging the shelf life of a sunflower oil in the following order: film-AqGTd > film-MeGd ⋍ film-Ascorbic ⋍ film-Pectin > Control.