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. 2020 Jun 4;12(6):1289. doi: 10.3390/polym12061289

Table 3.

Literature review regarding the use of active packaging materials on food products.

Active Compound Type of Biopolymer Matrix Functional Properties of Films Influence on Food Product Ref.
Plant Extracts
grape seed extract chitosan
  • -

    ↑ in WVP up to ~11%; in EM up to ~63%; in EAB up to ~32%

  • -

    ↓ in TS up to ~58%

  • -

    ↑ in antioxidant activity (12.53–20.45%-DPPH· method)

  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against E. coli, L. monocytogenes, S. aureus, P. aureginosa

 Chicken breast fillets:
  • -

    after 15 days of storage, samples in chitosan films had the lowest pH, while samples in the films with the extract showed the highest pH (6.66)

  • -

    active films effectively limited the growth of mesophilic aerobic (to ~5.9 log CFU/g) and coliform bacteria (to ~2.3 log CFU/g)

  • -

    reduction in oxidation value (to ~3.1 mg MDA/kg—TBARS value)

 [109]
chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) root extract chitosan
  • -

    ↓ in WS up to ~41%; in WC up to ~35%; in WVP up to ~50%; in TS by to ~43%; in EAB up to ~45%

  • -

    ↑ in antioxidant activity up to ~488% (DPPH· method) and up to ~ 346% (ABTS+ method)

  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against E. coli (from 4.43 to 16.21 mm of inhibition zone); B. cereus (from 6.21–18.79 mm); S. aureus (7.13–18.12 mm); S. typhimurium (4.11–14.91 mm)

  • -

    active films showed the highest biodegradability (47.36%)

 Soybean oil:
  • -

    lowest oil resistance ability values for active films (from 0.32% to 0.09%)

  • -

    during 28 days of storage, a reduction in oxidation of samples with active films was noted (PV—reduction up to ~55%)

 [110]
pomegranate peel extract zein
  • -

    ↑ in TS up to ~35%, in EAB up to ~28%, in WS up to ~196%

  • -

    ↓ in WVTR up to ~52%

  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against E. coli (17.66–22.33 mm), P. vulgaris (15.33–27.67 mm), P. perfringens (21.67–32.00 mm), M. luteus (14.33–24.67 mm), E. faecalis (15.00–26.00 mm), S. aureus (15.33–26.00 mm), S. typhii (14.67–25.00 mm)

 Fresh Himalayan cheese (Kalari/kradi):
  • -

    after 30 days of storage, cheese with active films demonstrated low oxidation of products (carbonyl content—by ~48%; MDA content—by ~70%) and inhibited spoilage of microorganisms (TBC—from ~3.5 to 0.5 log CFU/g; yeast and mould count—from ~2.5 to 0 log CFU/g; LAB—from ~2.5 to 5.5 log CFU/g)

 [111]
durian leaf extract gelatin
  • -

    ↑ in antioxidant activity by 17.6 times (DPPH· method)

  • -

    retarded oil oxidation (three times more efficiently than a gelatin film)

 Durian fruit pulp:
  • -

    higher loss of fruit weight in the active films than commercial ones

  • -

    decrease in fruit hardness during storage in active films

  • -

    no significant changes in resilience value

 [112]
Sonneratia caseolaris (L.) (SCELE) chitosan
  • -

    ↑ in TS up to ~2%; in WS by up to ~116%

  • -

    ↓ in EAB up to ~72%, in WVTR up to ~15%

 Vietnamese banana fruit:
  • -

    after 4 days of storage at room temperature, unwrapped bananas had visible black spots, while the fruits with chitosan and chitosan–SCELE films were still yellow

 [55]
guabiroba pulp corn starch/gelatin
  • -

    ↑ in WVP up to ~234%

  • -

    ↓ in TS up to ~82%

 Extra-virgin olive oil:
  • -

    no changes in acidity or peroxide indices (after 15 days of storage, the samples were within the norm, where the maximum acidity index allowed is 0.8% of oleic acid and the maximum peroxide index amount permitted for extra virgin olive oil is 20 meq kg−1—Brazil’s legislation)

 [105]
coconut husk extract (EECH) Cloisite Na+ tilapia and squid skin gelatins (SGF) - Mackerel meat powder:
  • -

    after 30 days of storage, lower PV (~63 mg/kg sample), TBARS (~17 mg/kg sample), TVB content (105 mg N/100 g sample) and pH values were observed for the SGF–Na-EECH sample than the PE sample or the control

  • -

    the sample with SGF-Na-EECH had the lowest content of volatile lipid oxidation products

 [113]
maqui berry extract cowpea starch
  • -

    ↑ in antioxidant activity (from 0% to 88.46%—ABTS+ method; from 0% to 42.39%—DPPH method) depending on concentration

  • -

    ↓ in TS up to ~52%

  • -

    ↑ in EAB up to ~102%; in WC up to ~29%; in WS up to ~ 29%; in WVP up to ~22%

 Salomon:
  • -

    after 6 days of storage, the PV value for unpackaged samples increased up to ~341%, while samples with active films increase up to ~104%.

  • -

    the TBARS value for unpackaged samples increased by 35%, while for those with active films, the increase was by 15%

 [114]
Prunus maackii extract (EPm) κ-carrageenan/
hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (κC/Hm)
  • -

    ↓ in WVP (up to ~20%); in TS (up to ~30%)

  • -

    ↑ in EAB (up to ~23%); in heat-sealing strength (up to ~124%); in tearing force (up to ~48%); in antioxidant activity (23.75%- DPPH· method); in OP (up to ~95%)

 Lard:
  • -

    after 15 days, the POV and acid values of the lard packaged in κC/Hm/EPm films (4.95–9.37 mmol/kg, 1.01–1.50 mg/g, respectively) were significantly lower than those in the PE film (85.76 mmol/kg and 1.85 mg/g, respectively)

  • -

    κC/Hm/Epm films with the highest concentration of the extract (8%) were visually sensitive to volatile nitrogen, therefore, they can be used as an intelligent indicator to monitor freshness of lard

 [115]
Essential Oils
Eucalyptus Globulus essential oil chitosan
  • -

    ↓ in WC (up to ~44%); in WS (up to ~39%); TS (up to ~28%)

  • -

    ↑ in WVP (up to ~159%); EAB (up to ~66%)

  • -

    antimicrobial effect (in liquid medium, reduction by 4.22 log (S. aureus), 3.98 log (E. coli), 4.55 log (B. cereus) and 4.71 log (S. entertidis)

 Sliced sausage:
  • -

    samples coated by films with 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% oil showed growth inhibition against L. monocytogenes by 0.26, 0.7 and 1.01 log (CFU)/mL, respectively

 [116]
thyme essential oil chitosan - Ready-to-eat meat:
  • -

    over 4 weeks, active films showed reduced yeast populations, whereas aerobic mesophilic bacteria, LAB count and enterobacteria were not affected

  • -

    reduction in water condensation inside the package

 [117]
oregano essential oil gelatin–chitosan
  • -

    ↓ in TS (up to ~33%); WS (up to ~8%); WVP (up to ~18%)

  • -

    ↑ in EAB (up to ~132%)

 Grass carp muscle:
  • -

    after 12 days of storage at 4 °C, TVB-N values of samples with active films (from 7.84 to 40 mg N/100 g) were much lower than parafilm-packaging and control samples (from 7.84 to 55 mg N/100 g)

  • -

    TPC values for samples with active films (from4.23 to 6.9 log CFU/g) were much lower than parafilm-packaging and control samples (from 4.23 to 7.4 log CFU/g)

  • -

    pH values of samples in active films decreased from 7.11 to 6.98, while in parafilm-packaging and control samples, there was an increase to 7.32–7.34

 [118]
lemongrass essential oil gelatin - Sea bass slices:
  • -

    after 12 days of storage, samples wrapped in active films showed delayed growth of TVC (from 4.5 to 5.6 log CFU/g), LAB (from 0 to 5.9 log CFU/g), psychrophilic bacteria (from 2.2 to 4.0 log CFU/g) and spoilage microorganisms including H2S-producing bacteria (from 2 to 2.2 log/CFU/g) and Enterobacteriaceae (from 3.6 to 4.5 log CFU/g)

  • -

    reduced changes were observed in colour, K value, TVB value (from 12.47 to 15.84 mg N/100 g) and TBARS value (from 2 to 2.1 mg MDA/kg) compared to control films

 [119]
Syzygium aromaticum essential oil corn starch - Sausages:
  • -

    after 15 days of storage, reduction in lipid oxidation (TBA value—from 0.05 to 0.23 mg MAL/kg)

 [120]
  • -

    clove essential oil

  • -

    cinnamon essential oil

 corn starch
  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against L. lactis (inhibition zone 12.6–37.6 mm), L. monocytogenes (11.3–36.2 mm), L. mesenteroides (14.5–35.1 mm), P. fluorescens (9.1–29.2 mm), S. putrifaciens (10.8–31.7 mm), S. typhimurium (9.7–25.8 mm), E. coli (12.8–27.6 mm)

 Raw beef fillets:
  • -

    during 15 days of storage, a decrease in microbiological contamination was noted (reduction TVC—by 0.6–0.9 log CFU g−1, LAB—by 0.55–0.65 log CFU g−1, Pseudomomas spp. counts—By 0.51–0.67 log CFU g−1, Enterobacteriaceae—By 0.4–05 log CFU g−1)

  • -

    reduction in lipid oxidation (TBARS value from 0.39–0.42 to 1.32–1.49 mg MDA/kg)

 [121]
Nanofillers
AgNPs chitosan/gelatin
  • -

    ↓ in TS up to ~27%

  • -

    ↑ in EAB up to ~51%

 Red grapes:
  • -

    extension of storage period by 14 days

 [122]
ZnONPs chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose
  • -

    ↑ in TS up to ~85%

  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against S. aureus (from 5 to 11 mm); B. subtilus (from 2 to 10 mm); B. cereus (from 4 to 10 mm); P. aeruginosa (from 3 to 11 mm); E. coli (from 3 to 9 mm); L. monocytogenes (from 2 to 8 mm); C. albicans (from 3 to 15 mm); A. niger (from 3 to 12 mm)

 Egyptian soft white cheese:
  • -

    after 30 days of storage, no differences in chemical properties between samples wrapped in active and control films were noted

  • -

    active films had good influence on total bacterial counts (bacterial counts—from 2.30 to 0 log CFU/g; coliform—from 1 to 0 log CFU/g), mould and yeast (from 1 to 0 log CFU/g) in soft white cheese

 [123]
ZnONPs chitosan/guar gum
  • -

    ↑ in TS by to ~168%; in EAB up to 44%

  • -

    ↓ in OTR up to ~72%; in WVTR up to ~55%

  • -

    ↑ in antioxidant activity (up to ~351%—measured by Total phenol content method, and by to ~335%— measured via DPPH method)

  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against E. coli (31.33 mm), L. momocytogenes(30.33 mm), A. terries (30.67 mm), A. niger (24.00 mm), A. flavus (31.33 mm), B. cereus (21.00 mm), S. aureus (24.67 mm), P. aeruginosa (27.00 mm), Y. enterocolitica (25.33 mm), S. typhiurium (29.00 mm)

 Ras cheese:
  • -

    active films protect the cheese surface for about 3–4 months against yeast, mould and other bacteria

 [124]
AgNPs+ SeNPs furcellaran
  • -

    ↓ in WS up to ~33%; in WVTR up to ~2%

  • -

    ↑ in WC up to ~24%; in modulus of elasticity up to ~97%; in EAB up to ~13%

  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against E. coli (inhibition zone from 0 to ~27 mm); S. aureus (from 0 to ~16 mm) and MRSA (from 0 to ~16 mm)

 Mini kiwi:
  • -

    after 8 days of storage, fruits in active films experienced weight loss at the level of ~0.15%, while the fruits in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films were not suitable for examination

  • -

    after 6 days of storage, fruits in LDPE films were entirely covered with mycelium, while the fruits in active films had no signs of mycelium

 [125]
chitosan thymol NPs chitosan/quinoa protein
  • -

    ↓ in WVP up to ~20%

 Blueberries and cherry tomatoes:
  • -

    inhibition in weight loss (at 9 days, for blueberries—up to ~8% lower than control films, cherry tomatoes—up to 2.1% lower than control films)

 [126]
chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) starch
  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus and B. cereus) than gram-negative bacteria (E. coli and S. typhi)

 Cherry tomatoes:
  • -

    after 10 days of storage, the increase in TPC value for tomatoes without films was 114.5 times the baseline amount

  • -

    the increase in TPC value for tomatoes packed in starch films alone was 20.5-fold

  • -

    the increase in TPC value for tomatoes in starch films with 15% CNP was 0.86-fold

 [127]
nanocellulose chitosan
  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, E. coli and S. entertidis

 Ground meat:
  • -

    after 6 days of storage, nanocomposite films reduced the population of LAB by ~3.1 log (at 25 °C) and 1.3 log (at 3 °C) cycles compared to meat wrapped in nylon

 [128]
  • -

    cellulose nanowhisker (CNW)

  • -

    CuONPs

 sodium alginate (SA)
  • -

    CNW films (0.5%)—SA (3%)–CuNPs (5 mM) had the best antimicrobial activity against S. aureus (27.49 mm), E. coli (12.12 mm), Salmonella sp. (25.21 mm), C. albicans (23.35 mm), Trichoderma spp. (5.31 mm) as well as antioxidant activity (~50% in DPPH· method and ~37% in ABTS+ method)

 Yellow bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum (L.) Sendt):
  • -

    films with CNW (0.5%)—SA (3%)—CuO NPs (5 mM) prevent microbial contamination (such as total bacteria, total fungi, total Listeria spp. and total Salmonella spp.) in samples up to 7 days

 [129]
Other Active Ingredients
  • -

    nisin

  • -

    catechin

 gelatin
  • -

    the addition of catechin improved antioxidant activity (DPPH· method)

  • -

    ↓ in TS, EAB and solubility, nisin has antimicrobial activity against E. coli, B. cereus, while catechin has no antimicrobial effect

 Minced pork:
  • -

    films with nisin and catechin retard microbial growth—TVC count and psychrophilic aerobic bacteria count (from 6.3 to 8.0 log CFU.g−1) after 7 days of storage

  • -

    no changes regarding weight loss of meat in different types of packaging—retarded lipid oxidation of minced pork

 [130]
epigallocatechin gallate gelatin
  • -

    ↑ in TS up to ~36%

  • -

    ↓ in EAB up to ~97%; in WVP up to ~9%; in OP up to ~57%

 Chicken skin oil:
  • -

    after 30 days of storage, samples packed in active films showed lower PV (from ~0.4 to 2.2 mg cumanehydroperoxide equivalent/100 g oil), TBARS (from 0 to ~1.1 mg MDA/100 g oil) and volatile compounds in comparison to those packaged in LDPE films

 [131]
  • -

    ferulic acid (FA)

  • -

    Cymbopogon citratus essential oil (EO)

 cashew gum/gelatin
  • -

    ↑ in WVP up to ~83%; in EAB up to 4517%

  • -

    ↓ in WS up to ~96%; in TS up to ~97%

 Bread:
  • -

    increased permeability of active packaging compared to polyethylene packaging, making the stored bread more stale

  • -

    for at least 6 days, due to the smaller amount of water, the bread packed in active films was protected against microorganisms

 [132]
  • -

    tannic acid

  • -

    caffeic acid

  • -

    green tea extract

 turmeric/gelatin
  • -

    ↑ in TS, WVP and WS

  • -

    ↓ in EAB in every type of active compounds

  • -

    no changes in antioxidant activity (DPPH· method)

 Ground pork:
  • -

    all films with phenolic compounds delayed lipid oxidation and had no effect on their sensory attributes (after 12 days of storage, TBARS values from 0.1 to 0.6 mg MDA/kg meat)

 [133]
ethyl lauroylarginate (LAE) oxidised cornstarch/bovine gelatin
  • -

    ↓ in WVP up to ~12%

 Marinated salmon:
  • -

    after 45 days of storage, TVC in salmon samples remained below the legal limit (106 CFU/g)

  • -

    no changes in antilisterial activity in salmon samples

  • -

    films were not effective in controlling weight loss of salmon samples during the cold storage

 [134]
rosemary acid (RosA) rabbit skin gelatin
  • -

    ↑ in TS up to ~22%

  • -

    ↓ in WVP up to ~8% and in WS up to ~26%

  • -

    ↑in antioxidant activity (DPPH· and reducing power methods)

 Chinese bacon:
  • -

    after 60 days of storage, PV of samples wrapped in gelatin films with 0.08% RosA was 16.86 meq peroxide/kg (while in control films, this value was 27.03 meq peroxide/kg)

  • -

    the value of TBARS after 15 days of storage for samples in gelatin films (0.584 mg MDA/kg sample) was the same as for samples in films with 0.08% RosA after 45 days (0.586 mg MDA/kg sample)

 [135]
  • -

    hydroxytyrosol (HT)

  • -

    3,4-dihydroxyphe Nyl glycol (DHPG)

  • -

    beeswax

 pectin/fish gelatin
  • -

    the addition of beeswax improved OP

 Beef meat:
  • -

    on the 6th day of storage, improvement in lipid oxidation was noted up to 68% (HT) and 59% DHPG—TBARS method

  • -

    synergistic effect of HT and beeswax in lipid oxidation reduction by 100% over 7 days

  • -

    the addition of beeswax improved oxidation stability of the stored meat

 [136]
  • -

    ZnO nanorods

  • -

    clove essential oil

 bovine skin gelatin
  • -

    ↑ in TS up to ~16%

  • -

    ↑ in EAB up to ~110%

  • -

    ↑ in OP up to ~32%

 Peeled shrimp:
  • -

    after 20 days of storage, the samples packed in active films reduced bacterial growth (by 2 to 3 log for L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium)

 [137]
  • -

    TiO2NPs

  • -

    rosemary essential oil

 cellulose nanofiber/whey protein - Lamb meat:
  • -

    slowed PBC growth rate of samples in active films (5.3 log CFU/g after 15 days of storage) compared to the polyethylene bags (7.1 log CFU/g after 9 days storage)

  • -

    changes in pH values from 5.70 to 7.25 (in polyethylene bags) and 6.18 (in active films)

  • -

    active films were highly effective at reducing TVB-N values (to 17.26 mg/100 g); PV values (to 1.46 meq peroxide/1000 g); TBARS values (to 1.23 mg MDA/1000 g); FFAs values (to 10.70%)

  • -

    according to statistical analysis of sensory characteristics (general acceptability), the shelf life of samples in polyethylene bags was 6 days, while in active films 12–15 days

 [138]
  • -

    TiO2NPs

  • -

    rosemary essential oil

 whey protein isolate/cellulose nanofiber
  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes (inhibition zone ~19 mm); E. coli (~16 mm); S. aureus (~19 mm); P. fluorescens (~16 mm); S. enteritidis (~15.3 mm)

 Fresh lamb meat:
  • -

    after 15 days of storage, active films significantly reduced the bacterial counts of meat samples (TVC—from 4.1 to 6.7 log CFU/g; Pseudomonas spp. count—from 2.8 to 5.6 log CFU/g; Enterobacteriaceae count—from 1.2 to 6.3 log CFU/g; LAB—from 2.6 to 5.8 log CFU/g; L. monocytogenes—3.8 log CFU/g, E. coli—6.3 log CFU/g, and S. aureus—4.6 log CFU/g

 [139]
  • -

    montmorillonite (MMT)

  • -

    clove essential oil (CEO)

 soy protein - Muscle fillets from bluefin tuna:
  • -

    active films with MMT and CEO caused a decrease in microbial growth (30–33 mg TVB-N/100 g and microorganism counts—TVB, Total aerobic mesophiles, H2S-producer microorganisms, Luminescent colonies, Pseudomonas spp., LAB, Enterobacteriaceae) and lipid auto-oxidation (evaluated according to the TBA index, during the last 3 days of storage, reaching 0.72 mg MAL/kg muscle) of tuna fillets during the 15-day storage period

  • -

    the presence of MMT promotes the release of CEO active ingredients by prolonging antimicrobial and antioxidant activity

 [140]
  • -

    okra mucilage (OM)

  • -

    ZnONPs

 carboxymethyl cellulose - Chicken breast meat:
  • -

    after 12 days of storage, using active films resulted in a reduction in growth rate of TVC values (from 4 to 5.86–6.10 log CFU/g); LAB values (from 2.16 to 2.83 log CFU/g); TBA values (from 0.02 to 0.15–0.26 mg MDA/kg); TVN values (from 12 to 23–35 mg N/100 g)

  • -

    the odour acceptability level for meat in active films was reached up to the 12th day of storage

 [141]
  • -

    Zataria multiflora oil (ZEO)

  • -

    cinnamaldehyde (CIN) in nanoemulsion (NZEO)

 corn starch
  • -

    ↓ in TS (up to ~74%)

  • -

    ↑ in EAB (up to ~13%)

 Ground beef samples:
  • -

    after 20 days of storage, samples with NZEO films had better values for PV (3.70 meq/kg of lipid), TBARS (1.03 mg MDA/kg sample), carbonyl content (0.83 nmol/mg protein) and sensory analysis (overall acceptability: 5.85)

 [142]
  • -

    cellulose nanocrystal

  • -

    grape Pomace Cabernet Franc (red variety)

  • -

    grape pomace Viognier (white variety)

 tapioca starch
  • -

    ↑ in TS up to ~129%; in EAB up to ~104%; in WVP up to ~51%

  • -

    ↑ in antioxidant activity (within range of 6.67–12.1%—TPC method)

  • -

    ↑ in antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes (until 62.7% in growth inhibition) and S. aureus (until 97.6% in growth inhibition)

 Ready-to-eat chicken meat:
  • -

    starch/cellulose nanocrystal/Viognier films were the most effective against L. monocytogenes (1 to 2 log CFU/cm2) reduction inoculated on the meat samples during the 10-day storage period at 4 °C

 [143]
capsaicin
supported by FeIII doped hollow metal-organic frameworks		 gelatin/chitosan
  • -

    ↑ in TS up to ~12%; in WVP up to ~45%; in WS up to ~36%

  • -

    ↓ in EAB up to ~32%

 White apple cubes:
  • -

    on the 5th day of storage, apple cubes covered by films with 8% capsaicin content remained almost unchanged (no black colour and only slight water loss)

 [144]

Abbreviations: TBARS—2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance; TVB-N—Total volatile basic nitrogen; TBA—Thiobarbituric acid index; MDA—Malondialdehyde; PBC—Psychrotrophic bacteria count; FFA—Free fatty acid (% Oleic acid) OP—Oxygen permeability; OTR—Gas transmission rate; WVP—Water vapour permeability; WVTR—Water vapour transmission rate; EM—Elastic modulus; TS—Tensile strength; EAB—Elongation at break; PV—Peroxide value; TVB—Total volatile base; PE—Polyethylene films; TPC—Total plate count; TVC—Total viable count; LAB—Lactic acid bacteria; TVN—Total volatile nitrogen.