Preparation of carboxymethyl chitosan/double-formaldehyde cellulose based hydrogel loaded with ginger essential oil nanoemulsion for meat preservation

An antibacterial nano-hydrogel (ginger essential oil nanoemulsion hydrogel, GEONH) based on Schiff base reaction was prepared using double-formaldehyde micro fibrillated cellulose (DAMFC) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) loaded with ginger essential oil nanoemulsion (GEON). It was found that when the mass ratio of DAMFC/CMCS/GEON was 1/9/270, the gel time, the water absorbency, gel strength, and morphology were the best. The results of X-ray diffraction and FT-IR confirmed that the aldehyde group on the DAMFC molecular chain formed a stable chemical crosslinking with the amino group on the CMCS molecular chain, resulting in a change in the crystal structure. GEONH showed excellent bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. Simultaneously, the prepared GEONH decreased the total viable count, Malondialdehyde, and total sulfhydryl content and improved the taste in the storage of boiled salted duck. Therefore, GEONH film is a promising fresh-keeping packaging for storing meat products.