Preparation and Characterization of Gelatin Based Antimicrobial Edible Films Incorporated with Aloe Vera Gel and Garlic Peel Extract

Edible films based on the addition of Garlic peel extract (GPE) and Aloe Vera gel (AV) into gelatin with antimicrobial properties for food packaging applications were proposed in this work. Both extracts, GPE and AV showed high total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids and antioxidant activity. Nine different formulations were obtained by the addition of GPE:AV in the ratios 1:1, 2:1 and 1:2 with concentrations of 1, 2 and 3 wt% to gelatin, showing films with 3 wt% of extracts with the ratio of 1:1 the best performance. Gelatin films enriched with GPE and AV retarded the growth of S. aureus and E. coli counts during the well diffusion plating technique. The addition of extracts did not significantly affect mechanical and barrier properties like water vapor transmission ratio and oxygen transmission ratio. The incorporation of these extracts into gelatin could be proposed as a potential effective packaging material for meat and poultry products by retarding the microbial growth and extending the shelf-life of these food products.