Performance of konjac glucomannan/tragacanth gum-stabilized eugenol particles in konjac glucomannan/chitosan films and their application in blueberry preservation.

Environmentally friendly food packaging has emerged as a viable strategy to replace traditional plastic films. In this study, eugenol Pickering emulsion was constructed with konjac glucomannan (KGM) and tragacanth gum (GT) as stabilizers, and was introduced into the KGM/chitosan (CS) composite film by electrostatic action to develop a new type of active packaging film. Interfacial characterization revealed optimal emulsion stability at a 1:5 KGM-to-GT mass ratio. Compared to pure KGM and CS films, the KC-KT@EUG films maintained excellent flexibility while demonstrating superior WVP, OP, and UV barrier properties and soil degradability. FTIR and XRD confirmed successful component integration, TGA indicated reduced thermal stability, and SEM showed homogeneous emulsion dispersion in the film matrix. The KC-KT@EUG films exhibited remarkable antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, significantly outperforming PE films (p < 0.05) in decay rate, weight loss, firmness, and soluble solids of blueberries over 9 days of storage. Consequently, shelf life was extended by 10 days, demonstrating the films' great potential for fresh-produce preservation.