Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) Films Added with Mucilage from Opuntia Ficus Indica: Mechanical, Microstructural and Thermal Characterization

Biodegradable composite films based on mucilage from Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae): Microstructural, functional and thermal properties

This study evaluated the feasibility of using cactus mucilage (CM) to elaborate biobased composite films blended with styrene-butadiene rubber latex (SBL). The CM was extracted and precipitated with ethanol (CMET) and isopropanol (CMIS). Mucilage-based films were formulated using three levels of mucilage (4, 6, and 8 wt%). The microstructure, thickness, moisture content, density, water contact angle, water vapor permeability, film solubility, thermal stability, and toughness of mucilage films blended with SBL (SBL/CMET and SBL/CMIS) were measured. The properties of mucilage-based films varied systematically, depending on the concentration of mucilage. The addition of SBL to CM film produces compatible, hydrophobic, flexible, and stiffer films with low moisture contents and good barrier properties. The mucilage film incorporated with 6 wt% CMET and CMIS reached the highest Young's modulus of 1512 ± 21 and 1988 ± 55 MPa, respectively. The DSC of produced films reveals that the Tg of SBL/CMIS is lower than that of SBL/CMIS. The synthesized films were structurally stable at high temperatures. The biodegradability of the composite films buried in the ground shows that the produced films are 100 % biodegradable after 40 days. Thus, CM blended with SBL can benefit specific applications, especially food packaging.

Global Research Trends on the Utilization of Nopal (Opuntia Sp) Cladodes as a Functional Ingredient for Industrial Use

Although nopal cladodes are a valuable bioactive compound source, they have historically been underused. This review draws a parallel between quantitative and qualitative data from the most outstanding scientific research concerning nopal cladodes in the last five years by implementing a bibliometric analysis. Italy, Mexico, Brazil, and Morocco accounted for approximately 55% of the 111 articles selected for this review. Nopal cladodes are a great source of nourishing ingredients such as mucilage, pectin, insoluble fibers, minerals, ascorbic acid, and bioactive compounds such as carotenoids (e.g., β-carotene, lutein, and cryptoxanthin), flavonoids (e.g., isorhamnetin, quercetin, rutin, and catechin), phytosterols (e.g., β-sitosterol and β-campesterol). Additionally, they offer technological benefits as a food ingredient, allied to good sensory acceptability. The findings suggest that medium-aged cladodes (20 days) have the highest concentration of soluble fiber, protein, and bioactive compounds, rendering them the optimal maturity stage for consumption and processing. Therefore, nopal cladodes can be exploited for several industries, including biotechnology, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, and they have attracted attention as a promising ingredient for the food industry in the concept of the next generation of innovative and functional vegetable foods.

Starch-Mucilage Composite Films: An Inclusive on Physicochemical and Biological Perspective

In recent years, scientists have focused on research to replace petroleum-based components plastics, in an eco-friendly and cost-effective manner, with plant-derived biopolymers offering suitable mechanical properties. Moreover, due to high environmental pollution, global warming, and the foreseen shortage of oil supplies, the quest for the formulation of biobased, non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymer films is still emerging. Several biopolymers from varied natural resources such as starch, cellulose, gums, agar, milk, cereal, and legume proteins have been used as eco-friendly packaging materials for the substitute of non-biodegradable petroleum-based plastic-based packaging materials. Among all biopolymers, starch is an edible carbohydrate complex, composed of a linear polymer, amylose, and amylopectin. They have usually been considered as a favorite choice of material for food packaging applications due to their excellent forming ability, low cost, and environmental compatibility. Although the film prepared from bio-polymer materials improves the shelf life of commodities by protecting them against interior and exterior factors, suitable barrier properties are impossible to attain with single polymeric packaging material. Therefore, the properties of edible films can be modified based on the hydrophobic-hydrophilic qualities of biomolecules. Certain chemical modifications of starch have been performed; however, the chemical residues may impart toxicity in the food commodity. Therefore, in such cases, several plant-derived polymeric combinations could be used as an effective binary blend of the polymer to improve the mechanical and barrier properties of packaging film. Recently, scientists have shown their great interest in underutilized plant-derived mucilage to synthesize biodegradable packaging material with desirable properties. Mucilage has a great potential to produce a stable polymeric network that confines starch granules that delay the release of amylose, improving the mechanical property of films. Therefore, the proposed review article is emphasized on the utilization of a blend of source and plant-derived mucilage for the synthesis of biodegradable packaging film. Herein, the synthesis process, characterization, mechanical properties, functional properties, and application of starch and mucilage-based film are discussed in detail.

Applications of emerging botanical hydrocolloids for edible films: A review

In recent years, many studies have been conducted on the production of edible films from emerging gums, which are mostly made from botanical sources. However, each one interacts differently with the film compounds, producing films with different properties that may improve or hinder their utilization in food packaging. Therefore, the aim of this review was to investigate and compare the physical, mechanical, thermal and structural properties of edible films produced with these emerging gums. The results of this review showed that it is possible to produce edible films with desirable physical, mechanical and thermal properties by optimizing the amounts and type of compounds in film formulations such as plasticizers, nanoparticles, lipid compounds, crosslinkers and combination of gums with other biopolymers. The future trends of this research include the deepening of knowledge to understand the molecular structures of emerging gums and to address the shortcomings of films based on these gums for their industrial-scale application in food packaging.

Development of Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) Including Leather Waste Fragments

A thermoplastic starch (TPS) material is developed, based on corn starch plasticized with glycerol and citric acid in a 9:3:1 ratio and further bonded with isinglass and mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471). In TPS, leather fragments, in the amount of 7.5 15 or 22.5 g/100 g of dry matter, were also introduced. The mixture was heated at a maximum temperature of 80 °C, then cast in an open mold to obtain films with thickness in the range 300 ± 50 microns. The leather fragments used were based on collagen obtained from production waste from shoemaking and tanned with tannins obtained from smoketree (Rhus cotinus), therefore free from chromium. Thermogravimetric (TGA) tests suggested that material degradation started at a temperature around 285 °C, revealing that the presence of leather fragments did not influence the occurrence of this process in TPS. Tensile tests indicated an increase in tensile properties (strength and Young's modulus) with increasing leather content, albeit coupled, especially at 22.5 wt%, with a more pronounced brittle behavior. Leather waste provided a sound interface with the bulk of the composite, as observed under scanning electron microscopy. The production process indicated a very limited degradation of the material after exposure to UV radiation for eight days, as demonstrated by the slight attenuation of amide I (collagen) and polysaccharide FTIR peaks. Reheating at 80 °C resulted in a weight loss not exceeding 3%.