Biofilms enriched with lavender essential oil: UV barrier properties and food applications

In this study, lavender essential oil was obtained from lavender seeds using a Clevenger apparatus and then characterized by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Chitosan-based biofilms containing lavender oil at varying concentrations (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.8%) were prepared and designated as CN, CN/0.2 LO, CN/0.4 LO, and CN/0.8 LO, respectively. The physicochemical parameters of the biofilms – including porosity, degree of swelling, oxygen permeability, and water vapor permeability – as well as optical properties such as opacity, transparency, and UV barrier properties, were determined. The opacity values of CN, CN/0.2 LO, CN/0.4 LO, and CN/0.8 LO films are 0.183, 0.412, 0.440, and 0.445, respectively, while their UV barrier values are 52%, 83%, 91%, and 71%, respectively. Strawberries are non-climacteric fruits that spoil quickly after harvest. To extend their shelf life, strawberries were coated with CN, CN/0.2 LO, CN/0.4 LO, and CN/0.8 LO biofilms. The effects of these films on shelf life, acidity, and appearance were investigated. Titratable acidity values were 0.96 for uncoated strawberries, while strawberries coated with CN, CN/0.2 LO, CN/0.4 LO, and CN/0.8 LO had values of 0.83, 0.71, 0.65, and 0.77, respectively.