Antibacterial activity in gelatin-bacterial cellulose composite film by thermally crosslinking with cinnamaldehyde towards food packaging application

Fabrication of an antibacterial gelatin-bacterial cellulose nanocomposite (GCB) film was achieved using cinnamaldehyde as a crosslinker and an antibacterial additive in order to improve the structural stability of gelatin in water and promote the antibacterial activity of both gelatin and bacterial cellulose (BC). The reaction of amine groups of gelatin with the aldehyde group of cinnamaldehyde through Schiff’s base and Michael’s addition reactions were accelerated by the heat treatment at 120 °C for 3 h resulting in the reduction of the water solubility of the GCB films. The supplementation of BC into gelatin enhanced tensile strength of the composite films and decreased water vapor permeability of the composite films. The GCB films showed non-toxicity against L929 cells and strong antibacterial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria suggesting the potential application as an antibacterial food packaging.