Preparation and characterization of a novel absorbent pad based on polyvinyl alcohol/gellan gum/citric acid with incorporated Perilla leaf oil nanoemulsion for chilled chicken packaging

A novel absorbent pad based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/gellan gum/citric acid (CA) composite with incorporated Perilla leaf oil (PO) nanoemulsion was prepared and characterized. The esterification between PVA and CA and strong hydrogen bonds were detected. The PVA improved the tensile strength and elongation at break by 110% and 73%, respectively, whereas PO concentration ≤ 1.5 % (w/v) had little effect on the material properties. The CA and PO nanoemulsion loaded in the pads showed good antioxidant activity, and the pads with PO concentration ≥ 1.5 % (w/v) had effective antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The results of chilled chicken storage experiments indicated that the pad with 1.5% (w/v) PO nanoemulsion extended the shelf life of chicken to at least 9 days, demonstrating that the developed absorbent pads are potential materials for chilled chicken storage packing.