Active packaging gelatin films based on chitosan/Arabic gum/coconut oil Pickering nano emulsions

Abstract This investigation intended at fabricating gelatin active packaging films based on nano‐sized droplets of coconut oil emulsified by Pickering emulsion (PE) using chitosan/Arabic gum (CH/AG) nanoparticles (NPs) as a stabilizer and in the presence of titanium dioxide NP (TiO 2 NPs) as an extra antimicrobial agent. The developed films were characterized by attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transmittance infrared , X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, water vapor sorption isotherm, and mechanical properties of the prepared films were assessed. The (CH/AG) NPs weight ratios (1:1, 1:2, and 2:1) impact on particle size (PS), zeta potential, wettability, morphology, and in vitro cumulative release was investigated. The (CH/AG) NPs (1:2) exhibits the small PS (246.4 nm). (CH/AG) NPs and PE exhibit spherical and oval morphologies. The CH/AG (1:2) exhibits the higher water contact angle (85.7 o ). At the oil volume fraction ( α ) = 1.0, nearly 81% of the entrapped oil released from the NPs. Gelatin films enriched with P at α = 1.0 exhibits two‐fold increasing scavenging activity % (35.69 ± 0.56) compared with control film (14.8 ± 0.25). The films have a considerable antibacterial and antifungal activity for all test microorganism. However, control sample did not show antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus and Candida albicans .