DEVELOPMENT OF ANTIBACTERIAL CHITOSAN-CLOVE-CHESTNUT COMPOSITE FILMS FOR FOOD PACKAGING APPLICATIONS

While eco-friendly biofilms are gaining attraction, blending biopolymers remains a promising approach to improve shelf life and reduce food spoilage. In the current study, the properties of chitosan-based biocomposite films containing clove bud and chestnut for food packaging applications were investigated. It was determined that clove bud powder addition significantly affected the physical properties of the chitosan-based films. While the chitosan-clove-chestnut composite films became more brittle compared to the control film, it was observed that their tensile strength was initially increased. Clove bud powder and chestnut flour additives significantly influenced film thickness; maximum thickness was achieved with 2% w/v clove bud powder. Moreover, clove bud powder and chestnut-containing films exhibited promising antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, particularly at 1.5% and 2% clove bud powder content. These initial findings revealed that clove bud powder is a potential nanofiller for chitosan films for food packaging.