Thymol@Natural Zeolite Nanohybrids for Chitosan/Polyvinyl-Alcohol-Based Hydrogels Applied as Active Pads

Currently, food saving, a circular economy, and zero environmental fingerprints are of major interest. Scientific efforts for enhanced food preservation using “green” methods have been intensified. Even though chemicals could achieve such targets effectively, the global trend against the “greenhouse effect” suggests the use of environmentally friendly biobased materials for this purpose. In this study, the promising biopolymer chitosan is incorporated with the promising biodegradable polymer polyvinyl alcohol to produce an improved biopolymeric matrix. This biodegradable biopolymer was further mixed homogeneously with 15% thymol/nano-zeolite nanohybrid material. The properties of the final developed film were improved compared to the relevant values of chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol film. The mechanical properties were enhanced significantly, i.e., there was a 34% increase in Young’s modulus and a 4.5% increase in the ultimate tensile strength, while the antioxidant activity increased by 53.4%. The antibacterial activity increased by 134% for Escherichia coli, 87.5% for Staphylococcus aureus, 32% for Listeria monocytogenes, and 9% for Salmonella enterica. The water vapor diffusion coefficient and the oxygen permeability coefficient decreased to −51% and −74%, respectively, and thus, the water vapor and oxygen barrier increased significantly. The active pads were used in strawberries, and the antimicrobial activity evaluation against the mold of fungi was carried out. The visual evaluation shows that the active pads could extend the shelf life duration of strawberries.