Fabrication of sustainable and multifunctional gelatin/dialdehyde pectin composite film incorporating lignin-containing nanocellulose stabilized Pickering emulsion for active food packaging.

In response to growing concerns over plastic pollution and food safety, this study aims to develop functional and biodegradable packaging materials from food processing by-products. We prepared eco-friendly active packaging films by integrating pomelo peel essential oils (PEOs)-loaded lignin-containing nanocellulose-stabilized Pickering emulsion (PEOs-PE) into a matrix of fish scale gelatin (FSG) and pomelo peel dialdehyde pectin (DAP). The addition of 30 wt% PEOs-PE significantly improved the mechanical performance of the FSG/DAP composite film, evidenced by a 55.61 % increase in tensile strength (TS) and a 4.09-fold increase in elongation at break (EB). Concurrently, it reduced water solubility, water vapor, and oxygen permeability, while improving thermal stability. At a PEOs-PE content of 40 wt%, the antibacterial activities of the FSG/DAP/PEOs-PE film against S. aureus and E. coli reached 96.59 % and 90.18 %, respectively, while the scavenging rates against DPPH and ABTS radicals were 84.11 % and 94.45 %, respectively. Moreover, the composite film exhibited sustained release of PEOs into food simulants, along with biodegradability and biosafety. Additionally, the FSG/DAP/PEOs-PE composite film effectively safeguarded strawberries against microbial contamination, prolonging their shelf-life to 7 days at ambient temperature. This study offers a promising and sustainable strategy for the development of active food packaging materials.