Extending the Shelf Life of Bananas with Cinnamaldehyde-Impregnated Halloysite/Polypropylene Nanocomposite Films

Ethylene, the ripening hormone produced by climacteric plants, is an important parameter that determines the shelf life of fresh fruits. Cinnamaldehyde (CA) encapsulated in halloysite nanotube (HNT) nanocarriers was studied as an ethylene production inhibition agent. The slow release of CA from HNT-CA nanohybrids was demonstrated to last for over 180 d and cause inhibition of ethylene production in bananas. The HNT-CA nanohybrids were incorporated into polypropylene (PP) via melt extrusion, resulting in PP/HNT-CA nanocomposite films with suitable mechanical properties for use as flexible packaging. Bananas stored in PP/HNT-CA nanocomposite film bags for 7 d presented significantly lower weight loss, higher firmness, and higher color scores, indicating freshness, than bananas stored in neat PP film bags. The nanocomposite films presented in this study were shown to slow down the ripening by inhibiting ethylene production, and they have strong potential as active food packaging materials that can prevent spoilage of ethylene-sensitive fresh fruits.