Biofabrication of copper oxide nanoparticles incorporated chitosan/gelatin films for food packaging applications

An effective replacement is required due to the significant rise in packaging waste on a worldwide scale. The use of bioplastics like chitosan (CS) and gelatin (GL) for food packaging applications is a promising approach for a sustainable environment. Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) exhibit high antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and they have undergone thorough research for the improvement of films in active food packaging systems. The CuONPs synthesized from the leaf extract of Ficus benjamina have been incorporated into the CS–GL blended films, thereby improving the inherent quality of food packaging films. The current endeavor seeks to synthesize CuONPs using the selected plant extract, characterize them by using SEM, DLS, and XRD, and synthesize four different films, namely chitosan (CS), chitosan–gelatin (CS–GL), 0.25wt% CuONPs–chitosan–gelatin (CS–GL–CuONPs (0.25%)), and 0.5wt% CuONPs–chitosan–gelatin (CS–GL–CuONPs (0.5%)), and evaluate their viability based on physical properties, mechanical properties, and packaging application in preservation using farm fresh plums. In a CS–GL, biopolymer matrix, the synthesized CuONPs were strengthened and transformed into nanocomposite hybrid films. The results of the synthesized nanocomposite films were found to be promising for food packaging applications.