Abstract
Active packaging materials, biodegradable and from renewable resources, are the most promising substitutes of nonbiodegradable, petroleum-based plastics, toward green and sustainable packaging solutions. In this study, an innovative bioplastic system, composed of carbon dioxide-derived poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) and nature-originated cellulose acetate (CA), was developed. The extract from oregano waste was incorporated into the bioplastics as a low-cost and effective antioxidant resource. Thin, freestanding, and flexible PPC.CA bioplastic films were obtained by a simple, easily scalable solvent casting technique. The pristine films, without the oregano extract, featured good transparency and high water vapor barrier ability, along with suitable mechanical and thermal properties that are comparable to commercial plastics used for packaging. Interestingly, the incorporation of oregano waste extract added to the bioplastics high UV protection and high antioxidant activity, suitable features for active food packaging applications, without compromising the intriguing properties of the pristine films. The biocomposite films were not only biocompatible but also started biodegrading after just 1 week in seawater. The reported biocomposites are foreseen as promising candidates for several packaging applications, but in particular for sustainable active food packaging.
Highlights
Worldwide plastic production has continuously grown, reaching 140 million tons annually for packaging applications alone.[1]
In the race to discover sustainable polymeric composites toward active packaging, in this study, we introduce transparent and flexible biocomposite films based on biodegradable CO2-derived PPC and cellulose acetate (CA) with the incorporation of oregano waste extract from discarded oregano branches
After dissolving both PPC and CA in a common relatively benign solvent, their homogeneous mixtures were cast in molds, leaving the solvent to evaporate in controlled ambient conditions
Summary
Worldwide plastic production has continuously grown, reaching 140 million tons annually for packaging applications alone.[1]. In comparison to conventional packaging materials, the active ones show desirable benefits, mostly their ability to maintain freshness and prolong food shelf life.[29,30] Presently, due to various factors including marketing purpose, consumer demand, and the potential health issues and toxicological side effects of artificial active additives, there is an increasing interest in the use of safe and natural antioxidant materials as additives for active packaging.[29,31,32] Oregano (Origanum vulgare) has been used as a common herb for centuries in daily cuisine.[33] Oregano provides numerous health benefits thanks to its abundant amount of antioxidants, namely, rosmarinic acid, carvacrol, thymol, limonene, quercetin, pinene, ocimene, caryophyllene, and other polyphenols, flavones, and flavonols.[5,33] its extract can be incorporated into polymeric films to obtain active packaging materials. The morphology; light transmittance; chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties; and water vapor permeability, hydrophobicity, biodegradability, and antioxidant capacity of the developed films have been profoundly characterized to validate their potentiality as active food packaging materials
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