Bioactive film based on chitosan incorporated with cellulose and aluminum chloride for food packaging application: Fabrication and characterization

Bioactive packaging materials are developed responding to the considerable environmental and human health risks caused by plastic packaging. In this study, a new generation of ternary composite films based on aluminum chloride (AlCl3)/chitosan (CS)/cellulose (Cel) was fabricated for use as bioactive packaging. FTIR, XRD, SEM and TGA results confirmed AlCl3/CS incorporation with Cel and homogeneous distribution in the composites. UV–Vis spectrometry of the ternary composite films showed a lack of light transmission in the UVA and UVB regions, indicating the highest protective efficiency of the composite film. The AlCl3/CS/Cel composite films manifested higher water uptake in comparison with CS/Cel film, thus AlCl3 improved the hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of AlCl3/CS/Cel composite films. Moreover, the AlCl3/CS/Cel composite exhibited better antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria than the pristine film. These results suggested that the bioactive AlCl3/CS/Cel film utilized in this study might be a promising material in food packaging to prolong the shelf life and improve food safety.