Impact of Ylang Ylang essential oil on the physical, thermal, and antioxidant properties of corn starch/bovine gelatin films

In the present study we evaluated the antioxidant activity, morphological, barrier, thermal, surface optical, and mechanical properties of corn starch/bovine gelatin-based films containing Ylang Ylang essential oil (YYEO) with various concentrations (0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%) were incorporated in the film matrix. The obtained findings indicated that the tensile strength of the fabricated films did not show any significant difference. The addition of YYEO to composite films led to notable enhancements in their properties, including an increase in elongation at break (15.86%–54.78%), water solubility (35.66%–49.49%), moisture content (13.61%–19.03%), and swelling index (347%–453%). The film containing YYEO exhibited greater water vapor permeability compared to the control film. Additionally, the swelling ratio of all YYEO-enriched films was noticeably lower than that of the control films. The incorporation of YYEO also improved the hydrophobicity of the biocomposite films. Thermal analysis demonstrated enhanced thermal stability with the addition of YYEO. Furthermore, antioxidant assays, such as DPPH and ABTS, revealed a significant boost in antioxidant activity in the oil-loaded films. This study explores the use of YYEO in developing composite films made from corn starch and gelatin. The resulting films demonstrate a good potential for use in food packaging applications.

Highlights

• EAB increased while TS remained unchanged with the addition of YYEO.
• YYEO increased solubility, moisture content, and swelling index.
• Improvement in WVP and thermal stability.
• YYEO significantly altered optical properties and improved hydrophobicity.
• Films showed structural compatibility and consistent microstructural changes with the addition of YYEO.