Amino carboxymethyl chitosan//dialdehyde starch/polyvinyl alcohol double-layer film loaded with ε-polylysine

To develop food packaging with good antibacterial activity and mechanical performance, four amino carboxymethyl chitosan (ACC)//dialdehyde starch (DAS) /polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films were prepared by Schiff base and hydrogen bond interactions for efficient loading and release of ε-polylysine (ε-PL). The effects of the Schiff base reaction on the physicochemical properties of the films were explored based on the different aldehyde group contents in DAS. The ACC//DAS 4 /PVA film exhibited a tensile strength of 62.5 MPa, and the water vapor and oxygen permeability was 8.77 × 10 -3 ·g·mm/m 2 ·d·kPa and 0.15 × 10 3 ·cm 3 ·mm/m 2 ·d, respectively. By leveraging the Schiff base reaction, the film swelling properties were improved by adjusting the cross-link density, mesh size, and molecular mass between the cross-links. The ACC//DAS 4 /PVA film could efficiently load ε-PL with a value of 98.44% and long-term release in a food simulant of 10% ethanol at 25 °C for 120 min. Moreover, the ACC-ε-PL//DAS 4 /PVA film was successfully used for salmon preservation.