Preparation, physicochemical properties, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of quaternized hawthorn pectin films incorporated with thyme essential oil

To investigate the impacts of thyme essential oil (TEO) on the structural, physical, antioxidative, and antibacterial properties of quaternized pectin film (QHP), the 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% TEO were incorporated to prepare quaternized pectin and TEO composites films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) pictures of the apparent morphology revealed that TEO had good compatibility with quaternized pectin. With TEO combined, the thickness and opacity of films increased, while the water content and swelling degree decreased. TEO has a plasticizing effect on films and improve the elongation at the break of films. However, hydrophobic TEO did not improve the hydrophobicity and water vapor barrier performance of films. The complex of TEO had slight influence upon the thermal stability of films. The composite films exhibited higher UV shielding, antioxidative, and antibacterial performance. Thus, the complex films have potential application value in active food packaging materials.