Abstract
Thermal, structural and physico-chemical properties of different composite edible films based on alginate and pectin with the addition of citral essential oil (citral EO) as an agent to improve barrier properties, were investigated. The obtained films were clear and transparent, with a yellow hue that increased with citral EO addition. All the films displayed good thermal stability up to 160 °C, with a slight improvement observed by increasing the amount of citral EO in the composites. Gas transmission rate (GTR) strongly depended on the polymer structure, gas type and temperature, with improvement in barrier performance for composite samples. Also, citral EO did not exert any weakening action on the tensile behavior. On the contrary, an increase of the elastic modulus and of the tensile strength was observed. Lastly, water contact angle measurements demonstrated the dependence of the film wettability on the content of citral EO.
Highlights
Edible coatings and films belong to an environmental-friendly technology aimed at enhancing food safety, quality and handling properties by creating a biodegradable semi-permeable barrier protection to water vapor, oxygen and carbon dioxide coming from the external environment.Edible coating is a thin edible substance layer, applied in a liquid form directly on the surface of different food products, mainly fruits and vegetables [1,2,3,4,5]
The objective of this study was to investigate the final properties of edible films based on sodium alginate (SA) and pectin (Pe), with the addition of citral essential oil
Similar observations were made by Galus and Lenart [11] in their study on edible films based on sodium alginate and pectin
Summary
Edible coating is a thin edible substance layer, applied in a liquid form directly on the surface of different food products, mainly fruits and vegetables [1,2,3,4,5]. For fresh fruit and vegetables, the creation of a wrong moisture and gas atmosphere may lead to weight loss and respiration rate reductions, with a consequent acceleration of the senescence process and a worsening of the visual gloss of coated commodities. Several studies have identified the necessity to evaluate mechanical (flexibility, tension), thermal, optical (brightness, opacity), wettability and morphological properties of edible films, as it creates a modified atmosphere that influences the gas transfer and further becomes a barrier for aromatic compound transferring [6,7]. The above-mentioned characteristics depend on several parameters related to the coating and film composition, such as preparation conditions (solvent, pH, components concentration, temperature) and type of added additives (cross-linking agents, antimicrobials, plasticizers, emulsifiers)
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