Food Packaging and Shelf Life 12 (2017) 128–134

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Food Packaging and Shelf Life

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/fpsl

Effect of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) gel on the physical and MARK
functional properties of fish gelatin films as active packaging
⁎
S. Sui China, F. Han Lyna, Z.A. Nur Hanania,b,
a
Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
b
Halal Products Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Present study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of the combination of fish gelatin and Aloe gel in
Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) producing composite films and to determine the effect of Aloe gel concentrations (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9% wt/wt) on the
Active packaging physical properties and antioxidant activity of the composite films. The moisture content of the composite films
Biodegradable films was proportional to the concentration of Aloe gel. Also, the water solubility and tensile strength of the films
Fish gelatin
decreased with increasing Aloe gel concentration. However, Aloe gel did not cause any significant effect
Water vapour permeability (WVP)
(p ≥ 0.05) on thickness, water vapour permeability (WVP) and colour of the composite films. The gelatin/Aloe
composite films exhibited smooth surface microstructures similar to non-composite gelatin film when observed
under scanning electron microscope (SEM). The gelatin/Aloe composite films also showed concentration
dependant ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities.

1. Introduction as silver ions, thymol or chitosan to produce films or coatings to be used

Since the 1970s, the main concern in realizing food security is to
ensure the availability of worldwide food supply at all times to sustain
the rapid increase in global food consumption and to withstand
fluctuations in production and prices (United Nations, 1975). One of
the obstacles in accomplishing food security is oxidative spoilage. It is
one of the main causes of quality loss in fats and lipids portion of foods,
which causes the formation of short chain carbon compounds conse-
quently leading to undesirable odours and flavours in food.
The usage of biodegradable and sustainable packaging has come
into attention since the past few decades as an effort to reduce
packaging waste. Among the suitable edible biopolymers include
gelatin, chitosan, carrageenan and waxes. Fish gelatin is a mixture of
peptides and proteins produced by the hydrolysis of collagen extract
from the skin of fish. It is commonly used in biodegradable films due to
its low melting temperature, low oxygen permeability, good film-
forming ability and emulsifying properties (Avena-Bustillos et al.,
2011; Tongnuanchan, Benjakul, & Prodpran, 2014
Although fish gelatin has weak mechanical properties, this could be
overcome by the addition of hydrocolloids such as chitosan and
carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or essential oils such as Morinda
citrifolia oil (Jahit, Nazmi, Isa, & Sarbon, 2016; Maryam Adilah & Nur
Hanani, 2016; Prodpran, Benjakul, Vittayanont, & Nalinanon, 2013).
Gelatin has also been used in combination with active ingredients such
as active packaging (Kanmani & Rhim, 2014; Kavoosi,
Dadfar, & Purfard, 2013; Nowzari, Shábanpour, & Ojagh, 2013).
The genus Aloe belongs to the family Asphodelaceae which char-
acteristics include a rosette of large, thick, fleshy leaves. Aloe vera (Aloe
barbadensis Miller) is a succulent plant species that belongs to this
genus. Commonly found in hot and dry climates, the inner layer of Aloe
leaves consist of a clear gel containing 99% of water. The remaining
1%, as shown in Table 1, consists of polysaccharides (0.55%), sugars
(0.17%), minerals and trace elements (0.16%), amino acids (0.07%),
lipids and sterols (0.04%) and phenolic compounds (0.01%) which
include anthraquinones, aloin and emodin (Liu, Chen, & Shi, 2013;
Moghaddasi & Verma, 2011). Known for its functional properties which
includes antimicrobial, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antioxida-
tive and immuno-mediating (Akhoondinasab, Akhoondinasab, & Saberi,
2014; Rodriguez, Martin, & Romero, 2010; Vijayalakshmi et al., 2012),
Aloe gel has become a common ingredient in skin care and pharma-
ceutical products such as health drinks and topical creams. Due to its
antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, Aloe gel would make a good
candidate in protecting and prolonging the shelf life of food products.
Previous studies had involved the formation of edible coating based
solely on Aloe vera gel (Benítez, Achaerandio, Sepulcre, & Pujolà, 2013;
Kumar & Bhatnagar, 2014; Vanaei, Sedaghat, Abbaspour,
Kaviani, & Azarbad, 2014). Aloe vera also has been added in chitosan
as a fruit coating (Vieira et al., 2016), chitosan-based film

⁎
Corresponding author at: Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
E-mail address: Hanani@upm.edu.my (Z.A. Nur Hanani).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2017.04.008
Received 8 December 2016; Received in revised form 3 April 2017; Accepted 4 April 2017
2214-2894/ © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
S. Sui Chin et al.
Table 1
Chemical composition of Aloe gel.
Content Amount
Water 99.00%
Polysaccharides 0.55%
Sugars 0.17%
Minerals and trace elements 0.16%
Amino acids 0.07%
Lipids and sterols 0.04%
Phenolic compounds 0.01%
(Khoshgozaran-Abras, Azizi, Hamidy, & Bagheripoor-Fallah, 2012) and
in plantain flour (Gutiérrez & Álvares, 2016). However, the formation
and characterization of gelatin/Aloe composite films is yet to be
conducted. The development of biodegradable gelatin/Aloe composite
films would bring a promising alternative to the food packaging
industry. Therefore, the aims of this research were to study the effect
of Aloe vera gel in gelatin and to determine the antioxidant properties as
active packaging films.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Materials
The fish gelatin powder used in this study was obtained from
Halagel Sdn. Bhd. (Kedah, Malaysia). DPPH solution and glycerol were
obtained from Sigma-Aldrich Co. (St. Louis, MO, USA) whereas absolute
ethanol and ABTS solution were provided by Merck and Co.
(Darmstadt, Germany). Potassium persulfate used in ABTS free radical
scavenging assay was obtained from R & M Chemicals (Selangor,
Malaysia).
2.2. Preparation of Aloe vera gel extract
Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) leaves were harvested at Taman
Pertanian Universiti (TPU), UPM. The leaves were washed with tap
water and then rinsed with distilled water in order to remove all the dirt
and soil on the surface of the leaves. The rind was removed to reveal the
flesh. The flesh was then washed again with tap water. After that, the
Aloe vera gel was extracted from the flesh by scraping with a sterile
spatula. The extraction was kept below 5 °C until further use.
2.3. Preparation of gelatin and Aloe vera gel composite films
Gelatin dispersion (6% wt/v) was prepared by dissolving 6 g of fish
gelatin powder in 100 ml of distilled water. The mixture was heated at
50 °C for 30 min until no visible particles were observed. Then, 30%
wt/wt of glycerol was added into the gelatin dispersion. Heating was
continued at 45 °C for 15 min. Aloe vera extraction was added into the
gelatin dispersion at different concentrations (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9% wt/wt)
with respect to the fish gelatin powder. The Aloe gel/gelatin dispersion
was stirred at ambient temperature (25 °C) until the Aloe gel completely
dissolved. Each composite film making solution was evenly spread onto
a 150 mm petri dish and was dried at ambient temperature for 24 h.
Dried films were manually peeled off and were conditioned at a
temperature of 23 ± 2 °C and at a relative humidity (RH) of
50 ± 5% before further analyses.
2.4. Thickness
The film thickness was measured using a mechanical micrometre
(No. 2046S, Mitutoyo, Japan) with a precision of 0.01 mm. Ten
measurements were taken along the perimeter of each film.
129
Food Packaging and Shelf Life 12 (2017) 128–134
2.5. Moisture content
The moisture content of each sample was measured according to the
method by Costa et al. (2015). The film was weighed and put into an
oven (Memmert UF110, USA) at 100 ± 0.2 °C until constant weight
was obtained. The sample was weighed again and the moisture content
was expressed by the percentage of weight lost during drying according
to this equation, (w0 − w1/w0) × 100%, where w1 represents the
weight of the film after drying (g) and w0 represents the initial weight
of the film (g).
2.6. Solubility
The film's solubility was determined according to method of
Shojaee-Aliabadi et al. (2014). Each film was cut into strips with
dimensions of 1 × 3 cm2. The strips were weighed followed by immer-
sion in 50 ml water under constant agitation at 25 °C. After filtration,
undissolved film was dried at 110 °C to a constant weight. All
measurements were done in triplicates. The solubility of a film was
determined using the equation (w0 − wf/w0) × 100%, where w0 is the
initial weight (g) and wf is the final dry weight (g).
2.7. Colour properties
The colour of the composite film was determined by chromameter
(HunterLab ULTRASCAN PRO Hunter D65, USA). Following the
recording of individual L*, a*, b* parameters, colour was expressed as
chroma index. All measurements were done in triplicates.
2.8. Water vapour permeability (WVP)
The WVP was measured using the method described by Nur Fatin
Nazurah and Nur Hanani (2016) according to the standard method
ASTM E96-90 (ASTM, 1990). Each sample was cut into a rectangular
shape and then mounted on the top of a crucible containing 18 ml of
distilled water. The samples were secured around the rim of the
crucible with a rubber band. The crucibles were maintained under
controlled conditions of temperature and humidity (23 ± 2 °C and
50 ± 5% RH). The weight of each crucible was recorded at 1 h
intervals for 8 h. Measurements were done in triplicates. The WVP of
each sample was calculated by the equation (W × L)/(A × P) where w
represents the slope of weight gained vs time plot (g s−1), L is the
thickness of the sample (m), A represents the test area (m2) and P
represents the partial pressure difference of water vapour across the
film (Pa).
2.9. Mechanical properties
Tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EAB) were deter-
mined using the Instron Dual column tabletop universal testing systems
(Model 3365, Instron Corporation, USA) following the guidelines of
ASTM Standard Method D 882 (ASTM, 1985). The initial grip separa-
tion was set at 5 mm per minute with film strips by the length of 60 mm
and width of 18 mm.
2.10. Surface microstructure
All films were analyzed using field emission scanning electron
microscopy (FE-SEM, S-4800, Hitachi Co., Ltd., Matsuda, Japan) with
an accelerating voltage of 15 kV. The samples were sputter-coated with
a layer of gold in a vacuum followed by fixation to the stage using
double-sided adhesive tape. Each sample was transferred to the cold
stage of the SEM chamber and observed at an acceleration voltage of
15 kV and a magnification of 1000×.
S. Sui Chin et al. Food Packaging and Shelf Life 12 (2017) 128–134

2.11. DPPH free radical scavenging assay
DPPH radical scavenging activity of sample was determined accord-
ing to the method of Yang, Cai, Tai, Zeng and Ding (2010) with slight
modifications. Each film sample weighing 25 mg was dissolved in 5 ml
of ethanol to make an extract. Each extract (0.1 ml) was mixed with
3.9 ml of 0.01 mmol L−1 DPPH solution. The mixture was shaken
vigorously and then incubated in darkness and at an ambient tempera-
ture for 30 min. Each sample was analyzed using a spectrophotometer
LR45227 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) at light wavelength of
517 nm. A control sample was prepared by replacing the extract with
absolute ethanol. All tests were performed in triplicates. The percentage
of radical scavenging was calculated by dividing the difference in the
absorbance values of control (Acontrol) and the sample (Asample) by the
absorbance of the control, using the equation (Acontrol − Asample/
Acontrol) × 100%.
2.12. ABTS free radical scavenging assay
ABTS analysis was carried out based on the steps of Sun et al.
(2015). ABTS with a concentration of 7 mmol L−1 was mixed with
potassium persulfate with the concentration of 140 mmol L−1 and kept
in darkness at 25 °C for 12–16 h. ABTS solution was made by diluting
the mixture with 50% ethanol to get an absorbance of 0.70 ± 0.02 at
734 nm. Then, 25 mg of each film sample was dissolved in 5 ml of
ethanol to make a film extract. Each film extract was mixed with the
ABTS solution (1:30, v/v) and was incubated in the dark for 6 minutes
at room temperature. Absorbance was measured using a spectrophot-
ometer LR45227 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) at light wavelength at
734 nm. Absolute ethanol was used to replace the film extract as a
negative control. The percentage of radical scavenging was calculated
using the equation (Acontrol − Asample/Acontrol) × 100%.
2.13. Statistical analysis
Data was subjected to one-way analysis of variant (ANOVA) by
means of Minitab (Version 17, Minitab, Pennsylvania, USA) Statistical
Software. The significant differences of the readings were determined
by Tukey's test with the level of significance set at p < 0.05.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Thickness
The thickness of each gelatin/Aloe films was recorded in Table 2.
The films obtained were between 63.00 μm and 71.25 μm. It was found
that there was no significant difference (p ≥ 0.05) between the
thickness of the control film and the film with 1% of Aloe gel. The
thickness of the film depends on the solid content in the film-forming
Table 2
Thickness, moisture content and solubility of the gelatin composite films.
solution (Ahmad et al., 2015). However, Aloe gel consists of 99% of
water and only 1% of solid components (Moghaddasi & Verma, 2011).
Thus, the peptide bond of fish gelatin could still form tight network
with the presence of Aloe gel. This means that the components in Aloe
gel could be distributed in the film without affecting the film thickness
(Cheng, Wang, & Weng, 2010). Rattaya, Benjakul, and Prodpran (2009)
reported similar results whereby the thickness did not change when
oxygenated seaweed extract was added into fish skin gelatin films.
3.2. Moisture content
The moisture content of the composite films increased significantly
(p < 0.05) from 11.30% in the control films to 23.73% when the
concentration of the Aloe gel increased to 9% (Table 2). The moisture
content of the film is contributed by the total water molecules occupied
in the network microstructures of the composite films (Jiang, Li,
Chai, & Leng, 2010). Fig. 1 shows the schematic diagram of gelatin
interactions in the absence and presence of Aloe gel. The increase in
moisture content could be explained by the reduction in the gelatin–-
gelatin interaction with the addition of Aloe gel, consequently increas-
ing the availability of the free hydroxyl group to absorb more water
(Kanmani & Rhim, 2014). The solid contents of Aloe gel might have
interacted with the free radicals of fish gelatin and hence increased the
retention of water molecules (Bhat & Karim, 2014). This was supported
by a study by Kanmani and Rhim (2014), in which the addition of silver
nanoparticle to fish gelatin films caused an increase in the moisture
content of the composite films.
3.3. Solubility
Solubility of a food packaging film is an important criterion
especially for food products with high moisture content. Table 2 shows
the solubility of the films. In present study, the control film showed the
highest solubility (67.66%) among all the films and the addition of 1%
of Aloe gel decreased the solubility of the films significantly (p < 0.05)
to 61.32%. As the concentration of the Aloe gel increased from 1 to 3%,
the solubility showed a significant (p < 0.05) reduction to 57.92%.
This observation was not in agreement with the previous studies, in
which the solubility of the films varied proportionally with the moisture
content (Fundo, Quintas, & Silva, 2011; Ghasemlou et al., 2013; Nur
Fatin Nazurah & Nur Hanani, 2016). An explanation for this observa-
tion would be fish gelatin is hydrophilic in nature and water molecules
were able to permeate the control film which contain only fish gelatin
easily, which caused the control film to exhibit the highest solubility in
the among all the films.
Besides, cellulose which is a non-soluble fibre that is found in the
Aloe gel might have contributed to the reduction in solubility (Munoz,
Leal, Quitral, & Cardemil, 2015). Similar observation was reported in a
study by Hoque, Benjakul, and Prodpran (2011), where the solubility of
gelatin films reduced with the addition of different herbs extracts which
showed that herbs extract might form strong structure of film network
through high extent of protein–polyphenol interaction.

Films Thickness (μm) Moisture content (%) Solubility (%)

3.4. Colour properties
a d a
Control 71.25 ± 2.50 11.30 ± 0.47 67.66 ± 0.35
Gelatin + 1% of 63.00 ± 3.56a 18.56 ± 0.65c 61.32 ± 0.50b Colour is a very important characteristic in selecting a suitable food
Aloe gel packaging because it affects the product aesthetics and consumer
a c cd
Gelatin + 3% of 67.50 ± 5.50 17.54 ± 0.52 57.92 ± 0.86 preference. Generally, a clear film is preferable so that the appearance
Aloe gel
Gelatin + 5% of 70.00 ± 6.29a 21.88 ± 0.73b 59.33 ± 0.51c
of the contents would be displayed clearly. Table 3 shows the colour
Aloe gel difference of the composite films with different concentration of Aloe
Gelatin + 7% of 66.25 ± 4.79a 22.45 ± 0.77ab 56.78 ± 1.21de gel. Three parameters that were taken into consideration were lightness
Aloe gel (L*), green-red (a*) and blue-yellow (b*) colour, and were used as the
Gelatin + 9% of 70.00 ± 4.08a 23.73 ± 0.51a 55.57 ± 0.45e
index to show the colour difference between the sample and control.
Aloe gel
Film colour could be affected by the type, nature and concentration of
Means in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different biopolymer incorporated (Ahmad et al., 2015). A lower L* value
(p < 0.05). indicated that the film is darker in colour. The results in the present

130
S. Sui Chin et al. Food Packaging and Shelf Life 12 (2017) 128–134

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of gelatin interactions in the (a) absence and (b) presence of Aloe gel.

Table 3 Table 4
Colour properties of the gelatin composite films. WVP and mechanical properties of gelatin composite films.

Films Colour Films WVP Tensile Strength EAB (%)

(g s−1 m−1 Pa−1) (MPa)
L* a* b*
Control 3.03 ± 0.08abc 11.67 ± 1.12a 1.47 ± 0.03b
Control 86.77 ± 0.46ab −0.26 ± 0.05b 0.78 ± 0.08b Gelatin + 1% of 2.99 ± 0.02abc 11.82 ± 1.18a 1.88 ± 0.18a
Gelatin + 1% of Aloe gel 85.83 ± 0.84b −0.16 ± 0.04a 0.74 ± 0.01b Aloe gel
Gelatin + 3% of Aloe gel 86.98 ± 0.63ab −0.24 ± 0.02ab 0.92 ± 0.06b Gelatin + 3% of 3.10 ± 0.02a 10.44 ± 0.91a 1.95 ± 0.14a
Gelatin + 5% of Aloe gel 86.18 ± 0.50ab −0.25 ± 0.04b 1.07 ± 0.04ab Aloe gel
Gelatin + 7% of Aloe gel 87.24 ± 0.41a −0.19 ± 0.06ab 1.42 ± 0.38a Gelatin + 5% of 3.04 ± 0.20ab 7.35 ± 1.66b 1.88 ± 0.08a
Gelatin + 9% of Aloe gel 82.33 ± 0.45c −0.15 ± 0.03a 1.05 ± 0.01b Aloe gel
Gelatin + 7% of 2.76 ± 0.21bc 6.26 ± 0.20b 1.87 ± 0.14a
Means in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different Aloe gel
(p < 0.05). Gelatin + 9% of 2.73 ± 0.15c 5.76 ± 0.39b 1.94 ± 0.17a
Aloe gel

study showed that the increase in concentration of Aloe gel up to 7% did

not cause a significant change (p ≥ 0.05) in the lightness of the film.
For a* and b* values, no trend was observed with the increase in Aloe
gel concentration. This is because Aloe gel and fish gelatin solution are
both transparent. In addition, all the films were dried under room
temperature thus eliminating the occurrence of Maillard reaction which
will cause the browning of gelatin (Riquelme, Díaz-Calderón,
Enrione, & Matiacevich, 2015). An exceptional case occurred where
the gelatin film with 9% Aloe gel was significantly darker (p < 0.05)
than the other films. This might be due to the non-soluble solids in the
Aloe gel that caused the film to be cloudier compared to the other films.
3.5. Water vapour permeability (WVP)
WVP is a very important characteristic of a packaging material.
Ideally, interactions between the wrapped product and the environment
should be minimal to prolong the shelf life of the products. WVP is
defined as the transmission rate of water to the driving force of vapour
pressure (Li, Liu, Ye, Wang, & Wang, 2015). According to Table 4, the
control film showed the reading of 3.03 g s−1 m−1 Pa−1 and the
addition of 1% of Aloe gel caused an insignificant decrease (p ≥ 0.05)
to 2.99 g s−1 m−1 Pa−1. Further increment of Aloe gel concentration in
gelatin films reduced the WVP values. However, the differences were
not significant (p ≥ 0.05).
The reduction in WVP could be explained by the formation of cross
linkages between gelatin and polysaccharides in the Aloe gel which
reduced the free space available for the movement of water molecules.
The result in present study was supported by a research done by Denavi
et al. (2009), in which a reduction in WVP was observed in soybean
incorporated gelatin composite films. Likewise, WVP was decreased by
the combination Lycium barbarum fruit extract into chitosan films
(Wang et al., 2015). The polysaccharides that are present in the Aloe
gel might have increased the density of the composite films by reducing
the interstitial space in the gelatin matrix, leading to a more compact
packing of the gelatin chains, thus reducing the amount of water
Means in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different
(p < 0.05).
molecules that could pass through the film.
3.6. Mechanical properties
TS and EAB are the main parameters of mechanical strength of
composite films which indicate the maximum tensile stress and their
flexibility, respectively. Table 4 shows the TS and EAB of the gelatin/
Aloe composite films. The TS value of the control film was 11.67 MPa
and improved insignificantly (p ≥ 0.05) to 11.82 MPa with the addition
of 1% of Aloe gel. However, the addition of 5% of Aloe gel to the films
significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the tensile strength from 10.44 MPa
to 7.35 MPa. The mechanical properties of the films depend on the intra
and intermolecular interactions of the polymer chains in the network
(Ahmad et al., 2015). Incorporation of additives other than cross-
linking agents generally lowers TS, as reported by Cagri, Ustunol, and
Ryser (2001). The decrease in tensile strength with the addition of Aloe
gel might be due to different cross linking of the polymers. In present
study, the addition of Aloe gel disturbed the interaction and alignment
among the gelatin chains. This is in agreement with Kołodziejska,
Piotrowska, Bulge, and Tylingo (2006), in which the properties of
gelatin/chitosan composite films plasticized with different hydrophilic
compounds reported a decrease in tensile strength. Similar results were
obtained in the research by Kanatt, Lahare, Chawla, and Sharma (2015)
in which decrease in tensile strength was observed with the addition of
aqueous seaweed extract.
The EAB value was the lowest in the control film and increased
significantly (p < 0.05) from 1.47 to 1.88% when 1% Aloe gel was
added. This showed that Aloe gel played a role as a plasticizer in the fish
gelatin matrix which resulted in a change in the ductile properties of
the film (Ramos, Jiménez, Peltzer, & Garrigós, 2012). Aloe gel might
have reduced the intermolecular forces and increase the mobility of
gelatin chains (Lavorgna, Piscitelli, Mangiacapra, & Buonocore, 2010).

131
S. Sui Chin et al.
Fig. 2. SEM micrographs of gelatin/Aloe composite films with 1000× magnification.
This is because the hydrophilic constituents in the Aloe gel fits easily
into gelatin network and by forming strong hydrogen bonds, gelatin–-
gelatin interactions was reduced, which resulted in a better plasticity of
the films (Gómez-Guillén et al., 2009). This is in agreement with
Khoshgozaran-Abras et al. (2012) in which Aloe gel effectively im-
proved the flexibility of chitosan films. Besides, the water content in the
Aloe gel also performed as a plasticizer (Ismail, Mansor, Majeed, & Man,
2016). Thus, high concentration of Aloe gel led to better plasticity of the
films.
The tensile strength of the films could be improved by the addition
of hydrocolloids such as chitosan or starch. As reported by Zhong and
Xia (2008), the addition of cassava starch and gelatin significantly
improved the tensile strength of chitosan films. This shows that these
biopolymers might work in synergy in improving the tensile strength of
the films.
3.7. Surface microstructure
Fig. 2 shows the SEM micrographs of the surface of gelatin/Aloe gel
composite films. The results indicated that the surface microstructure of
the gelatin/Aloe films were compact and smooth without the appear-
ance of cracks and pores. Besides, the film surfaces appeared homo-
genous with no obvious phase separation. This shows that Aloe gel was
successfully incorporated into the gelatin films without affecting the
surface microstructure of the films. This is because Aloe gel dissolved
completely in the film-forming solution due to its high solubility and
hydrophilic properties.
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Food Packaging and Shelf Life 12 (2017) 128–134
3.8. DPPH and ABTS
Antioxidant packaging is able to extend the shelf life of the food
products by preventing oxidative deterioration. In present study, two
antioxidants tests, ABTS and DPPH, were performed to evaluate the
antioxidant capacities of Aloe gel. According to Chun, Kim, Moon, Kang,
and Lee (2003), antioxidant capacities by both assays exhibited a strong
correlation with total phenolic content, which makes both assays
suitable for this study, for phenolic compounds are abundant in Aloe
gel. Both of these approaches are based on electron transfer of the
phenolic compounds and involve the reduction of a coloured oxidant
and the change in colour is detected by spectrophotometer.
From Fig. 3, the scavenging effect of DPPH for control film showed
the reading of 65.78%. When 1% of Aloe gel was added into the film,
the scavenging percentage increased significantly (p < 0.05) to
67.94%. With the increasing concentration of the Aloe gel in the films
from 1 to 9%, the scavenging effect increased significantly (p < 0.05)
from 67.94 to 74.76%.
According to Pires et al. (2011), the radical scavenging activity of
hake protein film incorporated with thyme oil ranging from concentra-
tion of 0.025 to 0.1 mL/g protein achieved a 13% recovery percentage.
Besides, protein films incorporated with origanum and clove extract has
been observed to exhibit radical scavenging activity of DPPH at around
47 and 85%, respectively (Teixeira et al., 2014). The radical scavenging
activity was contributed by the phenolic compounds and these com-
pounds increased along the concentration of Aloe gel. Phenolic com-
pounds exhibit redox properties which absorb and neutralize free
radicals (Thaipong, Boonprakob, Crosby, Cisneros-Zevallos, & Hawkins
S. Sui Chin et al.
Fig. 3. DPPH radical scavenging activity of gelatin films with 0–9% Aloe gel. Readings
with error bar that do not share a letter are significantly different.
Fig. 4. ABTS radical scavenging activity of gelatin films with 0–9% Aloe gel. Readings
with error bar that do not share a letter are significantly different.
Byrne, 2006). The phenolic compounds that are present in Aloe gel
include benzoic acid, p-toluic acid, p-salycyclic acid, ferrulic acid and
Aloe emodin.
Fig. 4 shows the ABTS scavenging activity of gelatin films with Aloe
gel. It was found that the ABTS scavenging effect of Aloe gel exhibited a
concentration dependent manner. The control film showed a scaven-
ging effect percentage of 32.59%. As the concentration of Aloe gel
increased from 3 to 9%, the films showed a significant increase
(p < 0.05) in ABTS scavenging activity, from 39.03 to 65.24%. Similar
radical scavenging activity was observed in quince seed mucilage films
incorporated with oregano essential oils. These films exhibited radical
scavenging activity of 45, 57 and 61% for 1, 1.5 and 2% oregano
essential oils, respectively (Jouki, Yazdi, Mortazavi, & Koocheki, 2014).
Enzymes, lipids, proteins and DNA present in Aloe gel are the
antioxidants that are responsible for the strong scavenging effect. In
Aloe gel, there is latex that is rich in phenolic acids which give rise to
polyphenolic compounds that contribute to its antioxidative properties
(Tian & Hua, 2005). Free radicals that were present in ABTS acted as an
indicator to the antioxidative strength of Aloe gel by causing oxidative
stress to induce the cellular damage of enzymes and other antioxidants
component (Kang et al., 2014). Similar observations were reported by
Kavoosi, Dadfar, Purfard, and Mehrabi (2013) who incorporated
carvacrol with fish gelatin.
Based on Figs. 3 and 4, it was shown that Aloe gel exhibited higher
radical scavenging activity in DPPH assay as compared to ABTS assay.
However, according to previous studies, antioxidant capacities mea-
sured by ABTS and DPPH assays showed high correlation
(Shalaby & Shanab, 2013; Thaipong et al., 2006). The reason might be
ABTS has a greater correlation with total phenolics content but not
between antioxidant capacity and total flavonoids content, according to
Kim, Chun, Kim, Moon, and Lee (2003). This suggests that Aloe gel
contains high amount of flavonoids which are also responsible for its
antioxidative properties. Other than that, indoles and alkaloids might
133
Food Packaging and Shelf Life 12 (2017) 128–134
also be involved in the scavenging activity (Nejatzadeh-Barandozi,
2013) to achieve high antioxidant performance as exhibited in DPPH
assay.
4. Conclusions
The findings suggest that incorporation of Aloe gel into gelatin films
is able to lower the solubility of the films significantly (p < 0.05)
without causing a significant change in the thickness, colour and
surface microstructure of the films (p ≥ 0.05). The mechanical proper-
ties of the composite films weaken with the increasing Aloe gel
concentration and they have significantly lower (p < 0.05) tensile
strength compared to the control film. However, plasticity of the films
improves significantly (p < 0.05) even with the incorporation of 1%
Aloe gel. Antioxidative property of the Aloe/gelatin films increases in a
concentration dependent manner with the Aloe gel. Overall, the
composite films have a substantial potential as active packaging
material to help to prolong the shelf life and maintaining the quality
and safety of food products, especially products that are susceptible
towards oxidative deterioration. Further studies are required to deter-
mine the antimicrobial properties of the composite films to help
preventing the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria in food products.
The production of a composite film with decent antimicrobial and
antioxidant properties will be a major leap forward in extending the
shelf life of food products, ultimately preventing food wastage.
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