Bioactive nanoliposome-encapsulated chicken collagen hydrolysate integrated into gelatin-alginate films for antioxidant and antimicrobial meat packaging.

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a sustainable active packaging film by incorporating bioactive collagen peptides into nanoliposomes and embedding them in a chicken by-product derived gelatin‑sodium alginate matrix. Chicken skin-head-feet collagen hydrolysates (<10 kDa) exhibiting antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory activities were encapsulated into nanoliposomes (z-average: 63.96 nm; PDI: 0.23; zeta potential: -7.6 mV; encapsulation efficiency: 63.47 %) using thin-film hydration method. The resulting films showed improved elongation at break (25.32 %) and tensile strength (12.07 MPa), with significant (P < 0.05) improvement in barrier properties, with water vapor permeability reduced by 27.75 % (from 10.91 to 7.88 g·mm/m2·day·kPa) and oxygen permeability by 20.8 % (from 5.43 to 4.30 cm3·mm/m2·day·kPa). When applied to cooked chicken meat patties stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 15 days, the nanoliposome-enriched films effectively preserved meat quality, demonstrated by improved color retention (stable a* values), reduced lipid peroxidation (TBA), and microbial count (TPC). These findings demonstrate that nanoliposome-integrated biopolymer films, developed from poultry processing waste, serve as sustainable active packaging materials with diverse protective functions and offer an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic plastics for extending the shelf life of meat products.