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Plastic pollution and the reduction in synthetic food additives are demands that emerge from consumers, leading to the development of biodegradable plastic materials. The use of essential oils—EOs—has been researched because it is a natural product with antioxidant properties. Due to its nature, EO is composed of volatile compounds that can be lost during extrusion. The aim of this work was to produce active biodegradable starch/PBAT films with the incorporation of neat Eucalyptus citriodora EO (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%) or EO microencapsulated by spray drying (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5%), aiming at the protection of the EO. The produced films showed adequate mechanical properties (tensile strength ranged from 5.72 to 7.54 MPa and the elongation at break ranged from 319 to 563%). Testing in food simulants showed that the films retained antioxidant activity, being more suitable for use in fatty or non-acid foods, with the microencapsulation process offering protection to the EO during the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research to replace synthetic polymers with biodegradable polymers is on the rise because common plastics have generated serious ecosystem problems. Films with thermoplastic starch (TPS), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene adipate‐co‐butylene terephthalate (PBAT), and citric acid (CA) were produced by blown extrusion. They were characterized by blow‐up ratio (BUR), water vapor permeability (WVP), soluble ratio (SR), water sorption isotherm, and thermogravimetric (TG) techniques. Films were uniform and showed BUR > 205%. The different proportions of PBS and PBAT significantly influenced the WVP of the films. All samples had WVP with an order of magnitude similar to other blends with high starch content (10−6 g m−1 day−1 Pa−1). CA efficiently decreased the WVP of the PBS/PBAT/TPS formulations (15/15/70% and 20/10/70% by mass) by 25.2% and 24.7% compared to the acid‐free formulations. There was no significant difference in SR (19.0%–20.1%). These materials were sensitive to moisture since the equilibrium moisture content increased pronouncedly from water activity of 0.5. Films showed good thermal stability, with a maximum decomposition temperature close to pure polyesters. CA did not increase the thermal stability of blends, probably because of the low content used (0.1%). Given the outcomes of this study, these films could be deemed appropriate for applications in food packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharides and proteins are compatible macromolecules that can be used to obtain biopolymeric hydrogels through physical interactions. In this study, an environmentally friendly strategy is being proposed to produce gelatin-xanthan gum- cellulose hydrogels, without the addition of chemical synthetic crosslinkers. Xanthan gum was employed as an alternative crosslinking agent, and cellulose was used as a potential reinforcing agent in the polymeric matrix. Firstly, the biopolymers were mixed by the extrusion process, and glycerol was used as a plasticizer. Then, the polymeric mixture was molded by thermopressing to obtain hydrogels as laminated films. All hydrogels formulations resulted in films with smooth surfaces, without pores or cracks, resulting in amorphous polymeric matrices. The obtained hydrogels had a pH-dependent degree of swelling, the highest swelling values were obtained at pH 4 (5.3–7.9 g/g) after 24 h of immersion. Cellulose acted as a reinforcing agent for hydrogels, increasing thermal stability, tensile strength, and Young's modulus of films when employed at the higher level (7%). The strategy employed in this study to obtain nontoxic hydrogels without synthetic crosslinkers was effective, resulting in materials with promising properties to be used as pharmaceutical forms to deliver active compounds in cosmetic or pharmaceutical products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish has great nutritional importance, though highly perishable. The use of biodegradable packaging could be a good strategy in the conservation of environmentally correct frozen fish. The objectives of the present work are as follows: (a) to evaluate the stability of the biodegradable packaging during frozen storage (−18°C) of Pacu fish fillets for 360 days, and (b) to compare the quality of Pacu fish fillets frozen in biodegradable/low‐density polyethylene packaging (LDPE), for 360 days. Biodegradable films with fish stored frozen for a period of 360 days showed stability in chemical and mechanical structure. No band was found in 850–1,000 cm−1 highlighting the inert behavior of the biodegradable packaging. The final tensile strength recorded was 5.93 MPa and elongation at break was 1.02%.The type of packaging had no effect recorded on the quality of the fillets (p ≥.05). Variable storage time showed an effect on fish quality (p ≤.05). Practical applications: Due to a growing demand for biodegradable packaging in food, the study of the durability of these packages under freezing temperatures becomes important, thus generating information for their diversification and application. The results from this study bring freezing conservation as a new possible use of biodegradable packaging with long shelf‐life, stability in chemical and mechanical structure, without compromising the quality of the preserved fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic pollution and the reduction in synthetic food additives are demands that emerge from consumers, leading to the development of biodegradable plastic materials. The use of essential oils-EOs-has been researched because it is a natural product with antioxidant properties. Due to its nature, EO is composed of volatile compounds that can be lost during extrusion. The aim of this work was to produce active biodegradable starch/PBAT films with the incorporation of neat Eucalyptus citriodora EO (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%) or EO microencapsulated by spray drying (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5%), aiming at the protection of the EO. The produced films showed adequate mechanical properties (tensile strength ranged from 5.72 to 7.54 MPa and the elongation at break ranged from 319 to 563%). Testing in food simulants showed that the films retained antioxidant activity, being more suitable for use in fatty or non-acid foods, with the microencapsulation process offering protection to the EO during the process.