Blend edible films were prepared from wheat starch (WS) and chitosan (CH) with glycerol as plasticizer. Four active ingredients (antioxidants) were added, namely basil essential oil, thyme essential oil, citric acid and alpha-tocopherol. The starch:antioxidant mass ratio was 1:0.1. Prior to characterisation, the films were conditioned at 25 degrees C-53%RH as to their structural, mechanical, optical and barrier properties. The antioxidant capacity of the active ingredients was determined by means of a spectrophotometric method. The incorporation of antioxidants led to a heterogeneous film microstructure, mainly in those containing alpha-tocopherol, which affected the surface roughness. Yellowness was induced in films when alpha-tocopherol was added and no notable colour changes were observed in the other cases, although all the antioxidants increased the transparency of the films. Despite of the fact that the mechanical properties were barely affected by the incorporation of antioxidants, citric acid promoted an increase in the elastic modulus but a decrease in film stretchability. The water vapour barrier properties of the films were only slightly improved when citric acid and alpha-tocopherol were added, whereas the oxygen barrier properties were significantly improved in all cases. The greatest antioxidant capacity of the films was reported for films containing alpha-tocopherol, which exhibited the highest antioxidant power. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.