Physiochemical, antioxidant, and food simulant release properties of collagen-carboxymethyl cellulose films enriched with Berberis lyceum root extract for biodegradable active food packaging

Abstract

The fish processing by-products are generally predicted as low-cost resources and used as feed for aquaculture and fertilizers for agriculture. This study aimed to extract collagen type-I from fish-discarded skin and their application in the fabrication of active food packaging films. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was used in collagen films as a cross linker and Berberis lyceum root extract (BLRE) as an antioxidant agent. Films prepared with BLRE presented outstanding features, such as high biodegradability, low transparency, and high UV-Vis barrier properties. In addition, BLRE-loaded films showed excellent antioxidant activities. Further, the exposure of the film to different food simulants showed higher antioxidant release in acidic, and alcoholic food simulants as compared to fatty food simulants. Additionally, these films were also used to wrap mushrooms in order to increase their shelf life. Hence, the present study encourages collagen extraction from fish waste and its use as biodegradable food packaging materials. Novelty impact statement: Fish skin is an aquaculture waste but still contains a high amount of collagen type-I, which can be used in combination with CMC to fabricate active food packaging films. These films incorporated with BLRE showed excellent antioxidant activities. Moreover, these films offered a high UV barrier and biodegradable properties. The film’s biodegradability in soil within 10 days increases their application as environmentally friendly materials. Further, these films can effectively prolong the shelf life of mushrooms. Therefore, the bioactive collagen-CMC film provides an effective alternative to synthetic film to maintain the quality and prolong the shelf-life of oily and dry food products.