Polyvinyl (alcohol)/chitosan active film supplemented with Sonneratia ovata extract and Piper betel L. oil for fresh‐cut beef preservation

Abstract This work is to produce multi‐functional active film from polyvinyl (alcohol)/chitosan (PCs) supplemented with Sonneratia ovata leaf extract (SOE) and Piper betel L. oil (PBLO). Our finding showed yellowish SOE‐added PCs film with the compact structure possessing lower swelling degree (SD) (22.48%) and higher mechanical strength (5.05 MPa) as compared to the neat PCs (35.43% and 3.18 MPa, respectively). While the co‐supplementation with PBLO at different ratios significantly increased SD between 50.97% and 104.08% due to the more open structure. UV‐barrier, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of PCs film were significantly revitalized with co‐supplementation of SOE and PBLO. The PCs/SOE 1 /PBLO 0.5 film presented better force resistance (5.51 MPa) and flexibility (87.12%) than other film formulations with balanced antibacterial and antioxidant properties and hence, it was further applied for preserving fresh‐cut beef for 14 days at 4°C. Changes in visual appearance, drip loss, and pH of fresh‐cut beef during storage period indicated better protective efficacy of PCs/SOE 1 /PBLO 0.5 film as compared to polyethylene (PE), PCs, and SOE‐added PCs materials, suggesting its promisingly potential for food packaging application.