Abstract
The preparation of biodegradable active packaging materials is still a major challenge. Here, we report the fabrication and characterization of poly(butylene succinate)-based (PBS) films enriched with a natural polyphenolic antioxidant—quercetin. The PBS-based films with various quercetin content (0.05; 0.10; 0.25 and 0.50 pph on PBS) were prepared via a solvent casting method. Physical (optical, mechanical, thermal, moisture and water sorption, water vapor and UV–vis barrier) and biofunctional (antioxidant and antibacterial against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) film properties were tested. The migration of quercetin into model food liquid systems was determined. As a result of quercetin addition, significant changes in color, opacity and UV-blocking effect were observed. The presence of the active substance did not significantly affect the thermal properties of the PBS matrix. However, the mechanical properties of the films were slightly decreased. The films exhibited excellent free radicals (DPPH, ABTS, O2−) scavenging and some bactericidal activities. PBS-quercetin films with superior functional properties have many possibilities for active food packaging applications.
Highlights
The packaging is likely the most important method for food preservation due to the fact that it protects, preserves and provides the needed information about the product while allowing product commercialization and distribution [1,2]
As can be seen in the case of quercetin, there was a three-step weight loss; the first one at approximately 90 ◦ C can be attributed to moisture evaporation, the second one at maximum DTA peak 340 ◦ C (33% of weight loss) corresponds to the decomposition of the central C ring or with the loss of one of the two A and B di-hydroxylated rings [53], and the third peak at 485 ◦ C is related to the decomposition of organic matter
There was no significant difference between poly(butylene succinate)-based (PBS) films and their analogs with quercetin
Summary
The packaging is likely the most important method for food preservation due to the fact that it protects, preserves and provides the needed information about the product while allowing product commercialization and distribution [1,2]. The food packaging industry strongly depends on the petrochemical non-biodegradable polymers Their main advantages are wide applications, convenience, low prices and durability [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The increasing consumption of non-biodegradable plastics and large amount of waste material have led to severe deterioration and pollution of the environment as well as social problems [4,5,6,7,8,9]. Both the recycling and biodegradability of plastics need serious attention [10,11]. Those issues have triggered extensive investigations to develop biodegradable polymers, especially derived from renewable resources [2,4,8,11]
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