Obtention of New Edible Biofilms from Water Kefir Grains in Comparison with Conventional Biofilms from Taro (Colocasia esculenta) and Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Starch

Microorganism biomass is a sustainable and innovative source of biopolymers, such as proteins and polysaccharides, that is suitable for the development of biodegradable films. The aim of this research was to evaluate the synthesis, morphology, rheology, and morphological and mechanical properties on the production of edible biofilms based on water kefir grains, and compare them with edible films based on thermoplastic compounds from starch (TPS) obtained from taro (Colocasia esculenta) and cassava (Manihot esculenta). Edible biofilms were prepared in solution with 30% wt/wt glycerol relative to starch mass and kefir grain biofilms using the casting method. A stationary rheological analysis was performed on the film-forming suspensions of kefir, taro starch, and cassava starch. Once the films were obtained, a physicochemical and morphological characterization was carried out. Results of the characterization showed the following main aspects: The results indicated an increase in biomass production using muscovado and pineapple peel. The film-forming suspensions had a dilating behavior; however, the results obtained not only show the viscoelastic behavior but also the elastic limit (σ0), which varied from 0.077 to 0.059 Pa for suspensions of water kefir grains and from 0.077 to 0.072 Pa for starch suspensions. These elastic limit variations can be defined as the minimum shear stress required to start the flow, and all these rheological data were adjusted to the Herschel–Bulkley model; the morphological and mechanical characterization of the films obtained showed homogeneous surfaces with transparency and without cracks; regarding the water activity, values lower than 6 were obtained, which indicates that there will be no growth of any microorganism, and the hardness data showed differences between those obtained from kefir and taro and cassava starch. The similar results of the rheological characterization in the formation of the kefir biofilm and the conventional edible starch films, in addition to the similar results in the water activity below 6 and the hardness, points to an attractive alternative capable of replacing the conventional materials with a mass production of biofilms of probiotic microorganisms. The results also revealed that water kefir grains biomass is a viable and innovative source of biodegradable materials, and these grains can be an alternative to conventional established starch materials.