| Gelatin films crosslinked with dialdehyde quince seed gum (Gel/DAQSG) were prepared with different blending ratios by solution casting technique. The morphological, structural, thermal, and physical properties of these films were investigated. The addition of DAQSG into the matrix of Gel films led to the chemical crosslinking between the amine groups of Gel, and aldehyde groups of DAQSG. Also, with the increase of DAQSG content, the number of crosslinked networks increased, causing the structure of Gel/DAQSG films became denser and compact. Compared with pure Gel film, Gel/DAQSG film with ratio of 1:2 as the optimal sample exhibited lower water solubility (18.14 ± 0.3%), lower water vapor permeability (2.6 ± 0.2 g mm/h mm2 Pa), and higher tensile stress (59.5 ± 0.4 MPa). Moreover, the optimal film containing apple peel extract (APE with concentrations of 0.5 and 1 wt%) displayed high antioxidant activity with DPPH scavenging ability, which is 20 and 30 times higher than control film. Also, the antibacterial activities against E. coli and S. areus were significantly (p < 0.05) improved. Collectively, Gel/DAQSG with ratio of 1:2 containing APE films illustrated the acceptable potential for using as an active food packaging. |