The development of
an effective food packaging material
is essential
for safeguarding against infections and preventing chemical, physical,
and biological changes during food storage and transportation. In
the present study, we successfully synthesized an innovative food
packaging material by combining chitosan (CH), nanocellulose (NC),
and a gallic acid-based metal–organic framework (MOF). The
CH films were prepared using different concentrations of NC (5 and
10%) and MOFs (1.5, 2.5, and 5%). Various properties of prepared films,
including water solubility (WS), moisture content (MC), swelling degree,
oxygen permeability, water vapor permeability (WVP), mechanical property,
color analysis, and light transmittance, were studied. The chitosan
film with a 5% NC and 1.5% MOF (CH-5% NC-1.5% MOF) exhibited the least
water solubility, moisture content, and water vapor permeability,
indicating the overall stability of the film. Additionally, this film
demonstrated low oxygen permeability, as indicated by a peroxide value
of 18.911 ± 4.009, ensuring the effective preservation of packaged
contents. Notably, this synthesized film exhibited high antioxidant
activity, resulting in an extended duration of 52 days. This antioxidant
activity was further validated by the preservation of apple slices
for 9 days in a CH-5% NC-1.5% MOF film. The findings of the study
suggest that the developed films can provide a promising and environmentally
friendly solution for active food packaging.