Chilled beef preservation by quaternized areca-husk cellulose nanocrystals and oregano essential oil encapsulated in a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 in synthesized composite films.

Abstract

This study developed a biobased composite film for beef preservation, using covalently quaternized cellulose nanocrystals (qACN) derived from areca catechu L. cellulose as the reinforcing phase, poly (3-hydroxybutyrate)/polylactic acid (PHB/PLA) as the matrix, and oregano essential oil encapsulated in ZIF-8 (OEO@ZIF-8) to provide antimicrobial and antioxidant functions. Characterization confirmed charge inversion and improved dispersion of qACN, while the structural integrity of OEO@ZIF-8 was maintained. Incorporating qACN markedly improved film properties, increasing tensile strength by 39.88% and reducing water vapor permeability and oxygen transmission rate by 11.90% and 45.10%, respectively. The composite films showed no evident cytotoxicity toward HepG2 cells, with cell viability of 94.35 ± 1.91% (undiluted) and 96.80 ± 2.09% (50% dilution) for the PHB/PLA/qACN/OEO@ZIF-8 group, and the films exhibited good biodegradability under soil-burial conditions, supporting biosafety and sustainability. In chilled-beef applications, the PHB/PLA/qACN/OEO@ZIF-8 film inhibited microbial growth and oxidative deterioration and extended shelf life to 12 days. These results indicate the potential of waste-derived qACN and MOF-assisted essential-oil delivery for active food-packaging applications.