Active Bio-composite Sodium Alginate/Maltodextrin Packaging Films for Food Containing Azolla pinnata Leaves Extract as Natural Antioxidant

The aim of the current work was to produce sodium alginate (SA) maltodextrins (MD) based functional films incorporated with phenolic extract of Azolla pinnata leaves fern (AF) by solution molding technique. AF with different concentrations (0.8, 1.2 and 1.6% w/w) were integrated inside SA.MD films. The resulted films were characterized to investigate the surface structure by scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermal disposal by (DSC), crystallization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), potential interaction by (FT-IR) and some mechanical properties. The SEM micrographs indicated that the higher concentration (1.6%) of AF extract caused development of wrinkles on the surface of films. And as a result, there were a significant decrease of elongation at break (EB) and tensile strength properties of films to 55.01 and 58.42%, respectively. By continues addition of AF extract to SA.MD films, the film thickness increased from 0.124 to 0.181 mm, the scavenging and antimicrobial properties were enhanced by the attendance of ferulic acid, rutin, thiamine, tamarixetin, astragalin, quercetin, chlorogenic acid and epicatechin inside extracts. Furthermore, the films solubility, swelling degree and water vapor permeability were decreased to 13.08%, 26.41% and 1.662?×?10^??10 g H₂O/m s p.a. The resulted films could be utilized as composite packaging material for different food applications.

     

Characterization and Optimization of Persian Gum/Whey Protein Bionanocomposite Films Containing Betanin Nanoliposomes for Food Packaging Utilization

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In this study, composite packaging films were produced from relatively inexpensive materials including Whey protein isolate (WPI) and Persian gum (PG),...     

Characterization of Semi-refined Carrageenan-Based Film for Primary Food Packaging Purposes

Carrageenan-based films demonstrate good performance, the raw materials for their production are abundant in nature and can be sustainably sourced from seaweeds. Similar to other naturally-derived biopolymers, however, carrageenans are relatively expensive to purify and form into useful materials. In order to potentially lower the production costs compared to pure carrageenan, semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) plasticized with 0–50% (w/w) glycerol was investigated using a solution casting method. The film color and opacity increased along with the moisture content, whereas the water vapor permeability decreased with increasing levels of glycerol. The tensile properties of the SRC films improved significantly, particularly at glycerol additions greater than 30% (w/w). Moreover, the addition of glycerol improved the thermal stability and altered the surface morphology of the films. In general, the properties of the SRC films were comparable with refined carrageenan films suggesting that SRC has potential to be furthered developed into more cost effective primary food packaging materials.     

Bio-based Films and Coatings: Sustainable Polysaccharide Packaging Alternatives for the Food Industry

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Polymers used as raw materials for synthetic packaging, i.e., those obtained from petroleum-derived sources, are resistant to degradation. Because of this,...     

Curcumin- A Bio-based Precursor for Smart and Active Food Packaging Systems: A Review

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The current scenario of global trends impacts the way in which food is consumed and packed, meaning that change is inevitable and just around the horizon...     

Characterization of Alginate Hydrogel Beads Loaded with Thyme and Clove Essential Oils Nanoemulsions

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The present study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of alginate beads filled with thyme and clove essential oils nanoemulsions (EONs). The droplet size...     

Preparation and Optimization of Starch/Poly Vinyl Alcohol/ZnO Nanocomposite Films Applicable for Food Packaging

Pollution and destruction of the environment due to the accumulation of non-degradable plastics are some of the most important concerns in the world. A significant amount of this waste is related to the polymers used in food packaging. Therefore, experts in the food industry have been looking for suitable biodegradable alternatives to synthetic polymers. Preparing biocompatible and biodegradable films based on starch is a good choice. In this study, various factors affecting films of starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/containing ZnO nanoparticles such as the amount of starch, PVA, glycerol, and ZnO were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). Film formation by solvent casting method, mechanical properties, swelling, solubility, and water vapor permeability (WVP) were selected as responses of RSM. The results showed that hydrogen bonding interactions between polyvinyl alcohol and starch improved the film formation. The effect of glycerol and PVA content on the mechanical strength was contrary to each other. As the amount of PVA increased, the tensile strength first decreased and then increased. The value of WVP was for all Runs from 0 to 6.77?×?10^??8 g m^??1 s^??1 Pa^??1. Finally, films with high film formation, maximum tensile strength, and high elongation at break, minimum solubility, permeability, and swelling were optimized.

     

Production and Characterization of Sodium Alginate/Gum Arabic Based Films Enriched with Syzygium cumini Seeds Extracts for Food Application

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Biodegradable sodium alginate/gum Arabic (SG) films were obtained. The influence of Syzygium cumini seeds extract (SCSE) incorporation in SG films on...     

Elaboration of a Bio-Colored Material Based on Natural Dye and Polybutylene Succinate: Comparative Study with Colored Polylactic Acid

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In the context of sustainable development and natural products valorization, new ecological materials enter a logic aimed at removing the causes of...     

Exploration of Multifunctional Properties of Piper betel Leaves Extract Incorporated Polyvinyl Alcohol-Oxidized Maize Starch Blend Films for Active Packaging Applications

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - This study explains the development of eco-friendly polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/oxidized maize starch (OMS)/Betel leaves extract (BLE) blend films by employing...     

Physicochemical and Antibacterial Evaluation of Poly (Vinyl Alcohol)/Guar Gum/Silver Nanocomposite Films for Food Packaging Applications

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In this study, we prepared Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Guar gum (GG) based nanocomposite films with a different weight ratio of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)...     

Effect of Varying Filler Concentration on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Embedded Chitosan Films as Potential Food Packaging Material

Prevailing scenario of non-biodegradable food packaging materials worldwide was the motivation for this research. More than half of the packaging materials used today are non-biodegradable and lack one or the other feature that keeps it from being an ideal food packaging material. Based on the current need of food grade packaging materials, the present study illustrates the amelioration of the properties of biodegradable chitosan films with the incorporation of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles in varying concentration. The ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) used as fillers in the chitosan films were synthesized by supersaturation method. They were characterized using UV–visible spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The particles were observed to be around 100–200 nm in size. The chitosan films with varying concentration of ZnONPs were synthesized and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and FE-SEM. The films were studied for their thermal stability, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and mechanical properties. The thermal stability, as determined by Thermo Gravimetric Analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry increased slightly with increasing percentage of embedded ZnONPs while a substantial decrease in WVTR was observed. Mechanical properties also showed improvements with 77% increment in tensile modulus and 67% increment in tensile strength. The antimicrobial activity of the films was also studied on gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) by serial dilution method. A twofold and 1.5-fold increment in the antimicrobial activity was observed for B. subtilis and E. coli, respectively, with increased ZnONPs concentration in the films from 0(w/w) to 2%(w/w). Films thus prepared can prove to be of immense potential in the near future for antimicrobial food packaging applications.     

Development of Hybrid Film Based on Carboxymethyl Chitosan-Gum Arabic Incorporated Citric Acid and Polyphenols from Cinnamomum camphora Seeds for Active Food Packaging

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In this study, carboxymethyl chitosan with gum Arabic (CG) based novel functional films containing Cinnamomum camphora seeds extract (CCSE) at varying...     

Biodegradation of Pro-oxidant Filled Polypropylene Films and Evaluation of the Ecotoxicological Impact

The biodegradability of calcium stearate (CaSt) and cobalt stearate (CoSt) filled polypropylene (PP) films were investigated in this work. The PP films were prepared using melt blending technique followed by hot press moulding. On the basis of their tensile properties, the optimum amount of pro-oxidants was taken as 0.2 phr. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used for the characterization of optimized films. Presence of pro-oxidant in the PP was confirmed by the FTIR studies. Addition of pro-oxidants in the films decreased the thermal stability as revealed by TGA analysis. Crystallinity of the pro-oxidant filled PP decreased with addition of pro-oxidants as showen by DSC. The maximum biodegradation of CaSt and CoSt containing PP films was showen 7.65 and 8.34%, respectively with 0.2 phr. Both the microbial test and plant growth test (on corn and tomato) indicated that biodegradation intermediates were non toxic.     

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)/Organomodified Montmorillonite Nanocomposites for Potential Food Packaging Applications

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) is a versatile, biobased and biodegradable copolymer from the family of polyhydroxyalkanoates. This study aims to further ameliorate its properties in order to enhance its applicability for food packaging purposes through preparation of organomodified montmorillonite clay (OMMT) nanocomposites. Nanocomposites based on pure PHBHHx as well as commercial PHBHHx granulate, after a previous dry-mixing with OMMT in concentrations of 1, 3, 5 and 10 wt%, were prepared using melt blending and compression molding. Investigation of the samples showed well dispersed nanofiller and highly intercalated nanocomposites, resulting in a continuous decrease in gas permeability, lowering O₂, CO₂ and water vapor permeability with about 5–7 % and approximately 40 % at OMMT concentration of 1 and 10 wt%, respectively. Besides gas permeability, other properties were affected as well. Thermal stability of the samples increased gradually up to 5 wt% nanofiller, but was reduced at 10 wt%. In order to investigate the effects of OMMT and molecular weights on PHBHHx crystallization, nanocomposites were also produced by solvent-casting and compared to those obtained by melt-blending. Crystallization was retarded, because of severe lowering of molecular weight due to processing-induced chain scission, catalyzed by OMMT moisture. However, this reduction was counteracted for a large part by using commercial PHBHHx granulate, which has shown better crystallization properties. The samples were rendered increasingly more brittle, displaying higher Young’s modulus and severely reduced elongation at break. From this study it appeared that, upon viewing all affected properties as a whole, the sample based on commercial PHBHHx and containing 3 wt% OMMT shows most promise for possible applications, however further research must be performed in order to exploit their fullest potential.     

顶空气相色谱法测定聚苯乙烯食品包装材料中挥发组分

以顶空气相色谱法直接测定聚苯乙烯食品包装材料固体试样中的苯，甲本、对二甲苯和苯乙烯，最小检出量为１０－１０＾１０ｇ，回收率为９７．６％－１０２．５％。该法基体干扰小、操作简便。     

Effects of Inorganic Antiseptic on the Properties of Zein-Based Active Films

Zein, one of corn processing byproducts, has excellent film-forming ability. However, zein does not have intrinsic antibacterial or antioxidant activity which limits its direct applicability as active food packaging material. In the present study, the rod-shaped micro-sized ZnO crystals were incorporated into zein films to construct zein-based active films as active packaging material with antibacterial property. The morphologies, structural analysis and sizes of ZnO crystals were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. Prepared zein films were evaluated for ZnO loading and distribution. Furthermore, antibacterial activities on Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria were tested by using the disc diffusion method. Lastly, the stability of zein-based active films under the different storage temperature and humidity was investigated. The results showed that zein based-active films had well mechanical properties, stability and antibacterial activities, which were related to the sizes of ZnO crystals in films.     

Effect of Hexadecyl Lactate as Plasticizer on the Properties of Poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactide) Films for Food Packaging Applications

In this study, poly(l-lactide) (PLA) films were fabricated by melt processing and the plasticizing effect of hexadecyl lactate (HL) (0, 5, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 wt% on PLA were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, tensile, transparency, and water vapor permeability tests. The SEM analysis revealed that PLA with 10 wt% HL appeared uniform with extra small bumps, confirmed the interaction between PLA and HL. The thermal analysis revealed a glass transition temperature of 57.4 °C for neat PLA film, but the addition of HL elicited a decrease in the temperature of the peak (43.8 °C). The incorporation of plasticizer into PLA resulted in the increase of elongation at break, as well as the decrease of tensile strength and tensile modulus. Even though a decrease in transparency was recorded, the PLA/HL blend films appeared transparent by visually observation. The water vapor permeability of PLA/HL blend films increased with the increase of HL. The PLA/HL blend films could effectively extend the shelf-life of fresh-cut pears as the commercial low density polyethylene films. The results indicated that the properties of PLA films can be modified with the addition of HL and PLA/HL blend films could serve as an alternative as food packaging materials to reduce environmental problems associated with synthetic packaging films.     

Characterization of Chemically Modified Potato Starch Films Through Enzymatic Degradation

The present investigation was undertaken to characterize the biodegradation pattern of chemically modified starch films. Chemically modified starch films obtained by esterification of the hydroxyl groups of the polysaccharide have shown lower water sorption than native starch films, being therefore more attractive for a number of processing applications. However, no systematic study characterizing their biodegradation behavior and comparing it with the degradation pattern of native starch films has still been published. In the current contribution we characterized the enzymatic degradation pattern of three derivatized starch films by use of a commercial α-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis. Optimum degradation conditions were chosen upon assaying the effect of enzyme load and temperature on the reaction course of native starch films. Under the conditions selected, comparison of different derivatization procedures revealed that the starch film modified with octanoyl chloride was enzymatically hydrolyzed at a much higher rate than native starch film. Maleated starch films also showed higher susceptibility to α-amylolytic hydrolysis than native starch, whereas acetylated starch showed a hydrolysis pattern similar to that of native starch. Differences in degradation rates of chemically modified films were explained in terms of their amylose content which promotes dense networks that hinder the access of starch-degrading enzymes.     

Processing and Characterization of Short-Fiber Reinforced Jute/Poly Butylene Succinate Biodegradable Composites: The Effect of Weld-Line

Fabrication of complex injection molded parts often involves the use of multiple gates. In such situations, polymer melts from different gates meld to form the molded part (weld line). This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of the mechanical and morphological properties of short fiber reinforced jute/poly butylene succinate (PBS) biodegradable composites. The effect of a dual gated mold in the fabrication of welded specimens was a key focus of the investigation. It was observed that incorporation of jute fiber (10 wt%) conferred drastic changes on the stress–strain properties of the matrix as the elongation at break (EB), dropped from 160% in the matrix to just 10% in the composite. The tensile strength of the composite was lower than that of the matrix. However, it is noteworthy that the tensile modulus of the composite increased. Bending test also revealed that both bending strength and modulus increased with the incorporation of jute. Morphological studies of the tensile fracture surface using SEM revealed two types of failure mode. Ductile failure was indicated by plastic deformation at the initiation of fracture followed by brittle failure. The good interfacial bonding indicated between jute and PBS was attributed to positive interaction between the two polar polymers. A comparison of the non-weld and weld-line samples revealed that the weld-line composites have better mechanical integrity than the corresponding polymer matrix with weld line. The results also revealed that elongation at break and toughness are most sensitive to the presence of the weld-line whereas flexural properties are least sensitive.