Abstract
Pectin films were developed by incorporating a halophyte plant Salicornia ramosissima (dry powder from stem parts) to modify the film’s properties. The films’ physicomechanical properties, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and microstructure, as well as their biodegradation capacity in soil and seawater, were evaluated. The inclusion of S. ramosissima significantly increased the thickness (0.25 ± 0.01 mm; control 0.18 ± 0.01 mm), color parameters a* (4.96 ± 0.30; control 3.29 ± 0.16) and b* (28.62 ± 0.51; control 12.74 ± 0.75), water vapor permeability (1.62 × 10−9 ± 1.09 × 10−10 (g/m·s·Pa); control 1.24 × 10−9 ± 6.58 × 10−11 (g/m·s·Pa)), water solubility (50.50 ± 5.00%; control 11.56 ± 5.56%), and elongation at break (5.89 ± 0.29%; control 3.91 ± 0.62%). On the other hand, L* (48.84 ± 1.60), tensile strength (0.13 ± 0.02 MPa), and Young’s modulus (0.01 ± 0 MPa) presented lower values compared with the control (L* 81.20 ± 1.60; 4.19 ± 0.82 MPa; 0.93 ± 0.12 MPa), while the moisture content varied between 30% and 45%, for the film with S. ramosissima and the control film, respectively. The addition of S. ramosissima led to opaque films with relatively heterogeneous microstructures. The films showed also good biodegradation capacity—after 21 days in soil (around 90%), and after 30 days in seawater (fully fragmented). These results show that pectin films with S. ramosissima may have great potential to be used in the future as an eco-friendly food packaging material.
Highlights
Packaging plays a key role in containing and protecting food from external influences, such as microorganisms, oxygen, and odors, among others
Plastic packaging has a negative environmental impact on land and sea, since it generates huge amounts of solid waste. The reduction of this waste can be achieved with the development of new biodegradable packaging systems [1]
Pectin films were developed based on the method reported by Mendes et al [22], with some modifications
Summary
Packaging plays a key role in containing and protecting food from external influences, such as microorganisms, oxygen, and odors, among others. Plastic packaging has a negative environmental impact on land and sea, since it generates huge amounts of solid waste. The reduction of this waste can be achieved with the development of new biodegradable packaging systems [1]. A considerable number of packaging films have been developed using biopolymers, such as proteins, and polysaccharides. The combination of clays, nanostructures, and other innovative materials has been studied for novel packaging applications [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Plant-derived bioactive compounds—such as essential oils, minerals, carotenoids, vitamins, and polyphenols, among others—have been used to modify the films’ antioxidant, antimicrobial, and physicomechanical properties [10,11,12,13,14,15]
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