OICC Press Journal of Nanostructure in Chemistry 2193-8865 12 5 (October 2022) 2022 03 16 Biodegradable antibacterial and antioxidant nanocomposite films based on dextrin for bioactive food packaging 10.1007/s40097-022-00491-4 EN Zeynab Islamipour School of Chemistry, Damghan University, Damghan, 36716-41167, IR Ehsan Nazarzadeh Zare School of Chemistry, Damghan University, Damghan, 36716-41167, IR Fatemeh Salimi Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Damghan University, Damghan, 36716-41167, IR Matineh Ghomi School of Chemistry, Damghan University, Damghan, 36716-41167, IR Pooyan Makvandi Centre for Materials Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pisa, 56025, IT Journal Article 2022 03 16 Abstract Food packaging is considered an inactive barrier that defends foods from environmental issues, chemical, and microbiological contaminants. In the current research, bioactive films based on dextrin (Dex), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and TiO 2 nanoparticles with weight ratios (50:50:0, F 1 ), (60:40:0, F 2 ), (70:30:0, F 3 ), (50:50:5, C 1 ), (60:40:5, C 2 ), and (70:30:5, C 3 ) were constructed by a solvent casting process for application in bioactive food packaging. The FE-SEM images exhibited a relatively uniform distribution of TiO 2 nanoparticles. The TGA thermogram of Dex@PVA@TiO 2 nanocomposite films displayed that the thermal stability of films enhanced compared to PVA and Dex samples, owing to the presence of TiO 2 nanoparticles. The water solubility of Dex@PVA@TiO 2 nanocomposite films increased from 38.46 to 53 wt% with the increase of Dex content from 50 to 70 wt% while the solubility of nanocomposites decreased due to TiO 2 nanoparticles compared to PVA/Dex blends. The results showed that the presence of TiO 2 nanoparticles (5 wt%) into Dex@PVA films enhanced the biofilm's tensile strength, compared to Dex and PVA films. The incorporation of TiO 2 nanoparticles into the Dex@PVA films enriched their antioxidant activity to 41% in ethanolic solution (EtOH 95% v / v ). Additionally, the prepared films illustrated selective antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis (as a food-borne pathogenic Gram-positive bacterium). These nanocomposites can be applied as a low-cost and suitable bioactive food packaging purpose in the different food packaging industries. Graphical abstract