Fabrication and Characterization of ZnO Nanoparticles-Based Biocomposite Films Prepared Using Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Taro Mucilage, and Black Cumin Seed Oil for Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

Food packaging is often made from plastic, which is usually obtained from non-renewable resources. The development of new technologies, like biocomposite films, has been driven in response to environmental concerns as well as consumer demands for eco-friendly, high-quality products derived from nature. Biocomposite films were prepared by incorporating taro mucilage, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), ZnO, glycerol, and black cumin seed (BCS) oil. The SEM results showed that the biocomposite films containing taro mucilage (TM), ZnO, and BCS oil had noticeably smoother surfaces. The FTIR analysis indicated the existence of a -OH group, N-H bond, alkaline group, C-C, C=N, C-H, C-O-H, and C-O-C bond formation, confirming the interaction of CMC, glycerol, BCS oil, ZnO nanoparticles, and TM. The results of TGA and DSC analysis suggest that incorporating ZnO nanoparticles, BCS oil, and TM into the CMC polymer matrix increased thermal stability. The addition of TM significantly increased water uptake capacity, antioxidative property, tensile strength, and elongation at break, with significantly decreased whiteness index and water solubility. The film inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as foodborne pathogens. The results suggest that the films can be potentially used as environment-friendly antioxidative and antimicrobial packaging films with additional research.