<i>Aloe vera</i>/Chitosan-Based Edible Film with Enhanced Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Thermal, and Barrier Properties for Sustainable Food Preservation
Food bioactive packaging has received increasing attention from consumers and the food industry for its potential to reduce food waste and environmental issues. Several materials can be used to produce edible films/coats; however, bio-based, cost-effective, and sustainable coatings have gained a hig...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/16/2/242 |
| _version_ | 1797342655330385920 |
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| author | Navjot Kaur Chandran Somasundram Zuliana Razali Abdel-Hamid I. Mourad Fathalla Hamed Zienab F. R. Ahmed |
| author_facet | Navjot Kaur Chandran Somasundram Zuliana Razali Abdel-Hamid I. Mourad Fathalla Hamed Zienab F. R. Ahmed |
| author_sort | Navjot Kaur |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Food bioactive packaging has received increasing attention from consumers and the food industry for its potential to reduce food waste and environmental issues. Several materials can be used to produce edible films/coats; however, bio-based, cost-effective, and sustainable coatings have gained a high reputation these days. For instance, <i>Aloe vera</i> gel (AV) is a promising bio-based material for edible coatings and films; therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the film-forming abilities of AV and Chitosan (CH) combination as a potential active food packaging material. The physicochemical and mechanical characteristics of formed films of various combinations were prepared at different concentrations, i.e., CH (0.5% <i>w</i>/<i>v</i>), AV (100%), CH:AV (75:25), and CH:AV (60:40). The results showed significant differences among all the prepared edible films wherein these differences were mainly on account of incorporating AV gel. The rheological and antioxidant properties of the formulations improved with the inclusion of AV gel. The films composed of CH:AV (60:40) positively affected the water solubility, thermal properties, and water vapour permeability of the edible films. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the films composed of CH:AV, (60:40) were amorphous and had smooth morphology. Further, the edible film solutions were applied to fresh figs (<i>Ficus carica</i>) to investigate their role in preserving fruits during storage. A significant reduction in microbial growth was found in coated fruits after 28 days of cold storage. The films composed of CH and AV showed overall improved results compared to the CH (0.5%, <i>w</i>/<i>v</i>). Therefore, the used formulations (CH:AV, 60:40) can form a sustainable film that has the potential to be utilized for fresh product preservation to maintain its quality and shelf life. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:36:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-65444be568e74eeaad27c9ca3cb92966 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:36:24Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-65444be568e74eeaad27c9ca3cb929662024-01-26T18:14:05ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602024-01-0116224210.3390/polym16020242<i>Aloe vera</i>/Chitosan-Based Edible Film with Enhanced Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Thermal, and Barrier Properties for Sustainable Food PreservationNavjot Kaur0Chandran Somasundram1Zuliana Razali2Abdel-Hamid I. Mourad3Fathalla Hamed4Zienab F. R. Ahmed5Department of Integrative Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab EmiratesInstitute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaInstitute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Physics, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Integrative Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab EmiratesFood bioactive packaging has received increasing attention from consumers and the food industry for its potential to reduce food waste and environmental issues. Several materials can be used to produce edible films/coats; however, bio-based, cost-effective, and sustainable coatings have gained a high reputation these days. For instance, <i>Aloe vera</i> gel (AV) is a promising bio-based material for edible coatings and films; therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the film-forming abilities of AV and Chitosan (CH) combination as a potential active food packaging material. The physicochemical and mechanical characteristics of formed films of various combinations were prepared at different concentrations, i.e., CH (0.5% <i>w</i>/<i>v</i>), AV (100%), CH:AV (75:25), and CH:AV (60:40). The results showed significant differences among all the prepared edible films wherein these differences were mainly on account of incorporating AV gel. The rheological and antioxidant properties of the formulations improved with the inclusion of AV gel. The films composed of CH:AV (60:40) positively affected the water solubility, thermal properties, and water vapour permeability of the edible films. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the films composed of CH:AV, (60:40) were amorphous and had smooth morphology. Further, the edible film solutions were applied to fresh figs (<i>Ficus carica</i>) to investigate their role in preserving fruits during storage. A significant reduction in microbial growth was found in coated fruits after 28 days of cold storage. The films composed of CH and AV showed overall improved results compared to the CH (0.5%, <i>w</i>/<i>v</i>). Therefore, the used formulations (CH:AV, 60:40) can form a sustainable film that has the potential to be utilized for fresh product preservation to maintain its quality and shelf life.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/16/2/242bioactive coating<i>Ficus carica</i>biopolymerfresh producefood packagingplant-based film |
| spellingShingle | Navjot Kaur Chandran Somasundram Zuliana Razali Abdel-Hamid I. Mourad Fathalla Hamed Zienab F. R. Ahmed <i>Aloe vera</i>/Chitosan-Based Edible Film with Enhanced Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Thermal, and Barrier Properties for Sustainable Food Preservation Polymers bioactive coating <i>Ficus carica</i> biopolymer fresh produce food packaging plant-based film |
| title | <i>Aloe vera</i>/Chitosan-Based Edible Film with Enhanced Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Thermal, and Barrier Properties for Sustainable Food Preservation |
| title_full | <i>Aloe vera</i>/Chitosan-Based Edible Film with Enhanced Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Thermal, and Barrier Properties for Sustainable Food Preservation |
| title_fullStr | <i>Aloe vera</i>/Chitosan-Based Edible Film with Enhanced Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Thermal, and Barrier Properties for Sustainable Food Preservation |
| title_full_unstemmed | <i>Aloe vera</i>/Chitosan-Based Edible Film with Enhanced Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Thermal, and Barrier Properties for Sustainable Food Preservation |
| title_short | <i>Aloe vera</i>/Chitosan-Based Edible Film with Enhanced Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Thermal, and Barrier Properties for Sustainable Food Preservation |
| title_sort | i aloe vera i chitosan based edible film with enhanced antioxidant antimicrobial thermal and barrier properties for sustainable food preservation |
| topic | bioactive coating <i>Ficus carica</i> biopolymer fresh produce food packaging plant-based film |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/16/2/242 |
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