Development and characterization of pectin films activated by nanoemulsion and Pickering emulsion stabilized marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) essential oil

The aim of this study was to prepare the pectin films activated by marjoram essential oil-loaded nanoemulsions (NE) and Pickering emulsions (PE). Low molecular surfactant of Tween 80 and blend of whey protein isolate (WPI) and inulin were used for preparation of NE and PE, respectively. The size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, surface morphology, and antibacterial activity of fabricated NE and PE were investigated. The droplet size of MEO-loaded NE and PE were 97.5 and 233.3 nm, respectively. The obtained nanocarriers were incorporated into the pectin film formulation at three levels (2.5, 5, 7.5 %wt.) and the morphological, physical and functional properties of active films were investigated. The FT-IR, XRD and FE-SEM results exhibited the compatibility between pectin and loaded nanocarriers. The films containing PE had good mechanical and water barrier properties due to their high dense and less permeable structure. The antioxidant activity of the films containing PE were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than its value in the NE incorporated films. The encapsulation of essential oil with PE provided significantly slower release profile in the film samples compared to the NE. In conclusion, the fabricated active pectin film containing Pickering emulsion showed great potential for active food packaging.