Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part B: Physics, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The rising demand for sustainable packaging has driven interest in bio-based films with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan/gum tragacanth (PVA/Cht/GT) composite films were developed by incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and safflower oil (SFO) via solvent casting. The films were characterized by FTIR, SEM, TEM, and XRD, as well as tested for water vapor permeability, antibacterial and antioxidant performance, and biodegradability. TEM confirmed uniform ZnO dispersion (3.5–4.9 nm) within the polymer matrix. The PVA/Cht/GT@ZnO10 film exhibited a 14.5 mm inhibition zone against S. aureus but none against E. coli. Incorporating SFO improved antibacterial activity, yielding inhibition zones of 20 mm for S. aureus and 13.5 mm for E. coli, indicating synergistic action between ZnO and SFO. The antioxidant activity increased with SFO content, reaching 49.21% radical scavenging. Water vapor permeability decreased at low ZnO levels but increased at higher loadings and with SFO due to plasticization effects. Biodegradation reached 51.02% weight loss after 90 days, supported by FTIR and XRD evidence of oxidative and glycosidic bond cleavage. These results confirm that ZnO- and SFO-enriched PVA/Cht/GT films possess multifunctional potential for sustainable active food packaging.