Development of starch-based film enhanced with cellulose nanocrystals from Camellia oleifera Abel seed shells for...

Herein, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from Camellia oleifera Abel seed shell (COASS) were prepared to strengthen starch-based films for extending shrimp shelf life. The morphology, crystal structure and thermal properties of CNCs were characterised. The rheological properties, moisture distribution and micro-morphology of the film-forming solution were analysed. The mechanical properties, water vapour/oxygen permeability, formation mechanism and shrimp preservation of the CNC-starch films were investigated. COASS-CNCs had a type I cellulose structure. The crystal granules were rod-shaped, with an average length of 135.91 nm and a width of 11.55 nm. The rheological properties, moisture distribution and micro-morphology suggested that the addition of COASS-CNCs improved the matrix network structure and stabilised the moisture of the film-forming solution. When COASS-CNCs were added at 8 %, the tensile strength, water vapour permeability and oxygen barrier ability of the composite film increased by 71.96 %, 16.20 % and 34.29 %, respectively. Molecular docking technology shows that the number of hydrogen bonds in the system increases with the increase of COASS-CNCs, accompanied by a phase transition behavior, the binding free energy reaches the maximum with 6 % COASS-CNCs addition. The composite film has potential applications in shrimp preservation. This study provides another reference for the practical application of COASS-CNCs in biodegradable films.