Abstract: The release behavior of hop extract in a food stimulant from gelatin-chitosan film, in which hop extract was incorporated as an antibacterial agent was investigated. The effects of different ambient temperatures on the release behavior of hop extract, α-acid and β-acid into 10%, 50% and 95% ethanol solutions were evaluated. The results showed that the release of the antibacterial agent gradually increased with time and temperature, until equilibrium was reached. In different food simulants, the higher the water content, the smaller the release amount of the antibacterial agent. Under the same conditions, the release rate of hop extract was the slowest, and the equilibrium release amount was minimal. The release data were fitted with the Peleg model with correlation coefficient (R2) higher than 0.98, indicating that the model was reliable in predicting the release behavior of hop extract, α-acid and β-acid.

Key words: chitosan, gelatin, hops, antimicrobial, release