Preparation of zein/chitosan/eugenol/curcumin active films for blueberry preservation

This study aimed to develop zein/chitosan-based films formulated with curcumin and eugenol to improve the quality of postharvest blueberries. First, the film-forming solutions were characterized (rheological property and water distribution), and the mechanical, structural properties and bioactivity of active films fabricated by casting were evaluated. Further, the active film was coated with blueberry stored at 4 °C, and physicochemical properties (weight loss, hardness, microbial counts, and appearance changes) were measured. The film-forming solutions exhibited non-Newtonian behavior. The incorporation of curcumin and eugenol improved the tensile strength and elongation at the break of films, reaching 17.86 MPa and 92.80 %, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was enhanced, and DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates were up to 90.60 ± 0.06 % and 86.34 ± 0.39 %, respectively. Meanwhile, the prepared active films possessed good anti-UV and sensitive pH-response color-shifting ability. Compared to the uncoated blueberry, blueberry coated with zein/chitosan/curcumin/eugenol showed lower weight loss and higher hardness, indicating that the prepared active films played a vital role in delaying the deterioration of blueberry and extending its shelf life. Overall, the zein-chitosan incorporated with curcumin and eugenol films could be a promising candidate to prolong the shelf life of food products due to their excellent bioactive capacity.