Development of biodegradable chitosan-based packaging films incorporated with jackfruit sawdust liquid smoke for extending the shelf life of Yellowfin tuna.

Abstract

This study developed and characterized chitosan-based packaging films incorporating liquid smoke derived from jackfruit sawdust and evaluated their preservative effects on Yellowfin tuna. The liquid smoke exhibited a low pH, strong antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activity against different bacterial strains, with inhibition zones ranging from 22.00 ± 0.00 to 31.00 ± 0.00 mm. The films were assessed for optical, barrier, mechanical, thermal, biodegradable, and antioxidant properties. Films containing 5% liquid smoke showed reduced moisture content (16.13 ± 0.60%), solubility (5.24 ± 1.48%), WVTR (0.71 ± 0.35 g·m-2·24 h-1), and OTR (4.27 ± 0.00 cm3·m-2·24 h-1), and enhanced tensile strength (46.59 ± 3.28 MPa), elongation (14.16 ± 0.55%), and antioxidant activity (94.85 ± 0.28%). FTIR and XRD confirmed interactions between chitosan and phenolic compounds, while SEM revealed a smooth structure. During chilled storage, films effectively maintained tuna chunk quality by controlling TVB-N, TMA, TBA, pH, colour stability and microbial counts, thereby extending shelf life upto 21 days. Overall, the developed films demonstrated strong potential as active packaging materials for fish preservation.