A novel multifunctional carboxymethyl cellulose packaging film with encapsulated lemon oil for quality enhancement of cherry tomato and baby spinach leaves

This is the first report on fabricating an active edible film based on CMC and lemon essential oil (LEO) micro/nanocapsules for packaging cherry tomatoes and baby spinach leaves. LEO extracted by hydrodistillation from lemon peels was efficiently encapsulated by oil-in-water emulsification method using high dextrose equivalent maltodextrin (MD) as the sole wall material, yielding physically stable MD-LEO micro/nanocapsules with potent cytotoxicity against Caco-2 cells, and antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. Incorporating LEO micro/nanocapsules into CMC confirmed by SEM/FTIR analyses, significantly improved the film's water vapor permeability by 37.50%, increased its thermal stability by 25 ℃, and reduced its moisture content/water absorption. The transparent film demonstrated strong DPPH radicle scavenging activity, UV-blocking ability, low moisture, enhanced tensile strength, and soil biodegradability (96.84%) within 14 days. Direct application of the novel film as a single-layer overwrap to cherry tomatoes and spinach leaves stored at abusive temperature for up to 4 days revealed good prospects of preserving physical appearance, preventing water/texture loss, maintaining pH, and inhibiting growth of aerobic mesophilic/E. coli O157:H7 populations by 0.65 and 1.0 log units, respectively, highlighting that CMC is an optimal vehicle for encapsulated LEO. The data emphasizes the significant contribution of the novel film to active packaging of minimally processed fresh produce and its potential to compete with inert plastic films dominating food markets. Extending the film's applicability range to other pertinent food systems may promote industrial interest for production upscaling as a commercially viable postharvest preservation strategy to meet the demands of sustainable packaging industry in Egypt.