Antioxidant films loaded with β-cyclodextrin-quercetin for enhancing food preservation

As the improvement of consciousness of environment, a considerable effort has been made to shift from petroleum-based plastics to biodegradable alternatives, especially in the food packaging industry. In this work, we develop an innovative food packaging film by encapsulating quercetin (Que) within β -cyclodextrin ( β -CD) to create β -CD-Que inclusion complexes, which are then dispersed in a matrix of tragacanth gum (TG) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) using a solution casting technique. β -CD-Que inclusion complexes were characterized using various methods, including 1 H NMR, 2D ROESY and phase solubility testing, to elucidate the interaction between Que and β -CD. ATR–IR, X-ray diffraction, and SEM were employed to confirm the uniform dispersion of β -CD-Que within the macromolecular substrate. The incorporation of β -CD-Que considerably improves the mechanical properties of films, increasing the elongation at break from 13.68 % to 25.74 %. Rheological tests demonstrate that the viscosity of the film-forming complex solution became larger. The films were demonstrated to reduced water vapor and oxygen permeability, possessing remarkable antioxidant capability evidenced by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates of 78.01 % and 99.59 %, respectively. The TG/CMCS/ β -CD-Que composite film shows excellent potential for food packaging and preservation applications. ● Quercetin is encapsulated by β -CD to improve the stability of it. ● TG/CMCS-based packaging films with multifunctional functionality is prepared via a solution casting method. ● The multifunctional films prolong the shelf-life of green grapes, offering a effective solution for food preservation.