Sustainable and biodegradable polymer packaging: Perspectives, challenges, and opportunities.

The escalating environmental impact of non-biodegradable plastic waste has intensified global efforts to seek sustainable alternatives, with biodegradable polymers from renewable sources emerging as a promising solution. This manuscript provides the current perspectives, challenges, and opportunities within the field of sustainable and biodegradable packaging. Despite a significant market presence of conventional non-biodegradable petrochemical-based plastics, there is a growing trend towards the adoption of bio-based polymers from renewable resources driven by environmental sustainability and regulatory measures.

Sustainable plant-wearable sensors for on-site, rapid decentralized detection of pesticides toward precision agriculture and food safety.

The synergy between eco-friendly biopolymeric films and printed devices leads to the production of plant-wearable sensors for decentralized analysis of pesticides in precision agriculture and food safety. Herein, a simple method for fabrication of flexible, and sustainable sensors printed on cellulose acetate (CA) substrates has been demonstrated to detect carbendazim and paraquat in agricultural, water and food samples. The biodegradable CA substrates were made by casting method while the full electrochemical system of three electrodes was deposited by screen-printing technique (SPE) to produce plant-wearable sensors.

Stabilization of oil-water emulsions with protein concentrates from the microalga .

The present work used water-soluble protein concentrates from the microalga to stabilize sunflower oil emulsions. Microalgal cells were disrupted by sonication, and proteins were separated from the biomass using two methods, isoelectric and solvent precipitations. The protein extracts were concentrated by lyophilization, and the concentrates were used to produce emulsions with three amounts of protein concentrate (TobPC) (0.

Beyond brewing: β-acid rich hop extract in the development of a multifunctional polylactic acid-based food packaging.

Hops' (Humulus lupulus L.) phytochemicals are well known for their bioactivity. In the present study, the functional properties of hop extract rich in β-acids, as potassium-salts structures (KBA), were investigated to develop a sustainable active food packaging.

Exposure to cellulose acetate films incorporated with garlic essential oil does not lead to homologous resistance in Listeria innocua ATCC 33090.

Essential oils (EOs) have been considered potential green additives for active food packaging. However, sub-lethal concentrations of EOs may lead to bacterial resistance, which is a concern. In this sense, the effects of 1% (GEO1) and 10% (GEO10) of garlic EO in cellulose acetate-based films regarding homologous resistance in Listeria innocua were investigated after incubation at 37 °C/24 h and 7 °C/10 d.

Development of inclusion complexes of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin with L. essential oil by freeze-drying and kneading methods for application as L. larvicide.

Inclusion complexes (ICs) of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin with the essential oil (EO) from Seculo XXI cultivar of were prepared using kneading (KN) and freeze-drying (FD) methods. The resulting ICs clusters have a nanometric size, with a diameter of approximately 80 and 40 nm for KN and FD, respectively. Complexation efficiency was 80.

Natural bioactives in perspective: The future of active packaging based on essential oils and plant extracts themselves and those complexed by cyclodextrins.

Aiming to attend to consumers' increasing demand for synthetic additives-free food products (stimulated by personal preferences or health concerns), the food industry has been trying to introduce natural bioactive compounds as food preservatives. In this respect, the development of active food packaging incorporated with natural compounds could be of great interest. However, this scenario still has some particularities that can hinder its application in the food industry, such as relatively reduced stability and, in some cases, undesirable sensorial properties.

Carvacrol-loaded liposome suspension: optimization, characterization and incorporation into poly(vinyl alcohol) films.

The purpose of this study was to encapsulate carvacrol into liposomes in order to promote its application in active food packaging. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of the concentration of the liposomal components on its characteristics. The optimum formulation for the preparation of liposomes with the highest encapsulation efficiency (59.

Nanostructured conjugates from tara gum and α-lactalbumin. Part 1. Structural characterization.

Nanostructures from conjugates of tara gum and α-lactalbumin were obtained via the heat-gelation process with pH adjustment. The conjugates were produced by Maillard reaction using the dry-heating method in lyophilized or spray-dried mixtures of TG and α-la and were characterized by browning index (BI) and percentage of free amino groups (% FAG). Nanostructured systems were characterized by dynamic light scattering, ζ-potential, circular dichroism, and intrinsic fluorescence to evaluate the structures.

Chitosan dispersed in aqueous solutions of acetic, glycolic, propionic or lactic acid as a thickener/stabilizer agent of O/W emulsions produced by ultrasonic homogenization.

Chitosan is a natural polycationic polysaccharide with several known biotechnological functionalities, but its application in food products as ingredient or additive remains nowadays unusual. Additionally, ultrasonic production of food-grade emulsions is still an open research field, so ultrasound applicability for such purpose must be evaluated case by case. In this study, chitosan was dispersed in acid aqueous media containing acetic, glycolic, propionic or lactic acid (50 mmol·L), then added of the emulsifier Tween 20, and finally mixed to sunflower oil, through ultrasonic homogenization (20 kHz, 500 W, 4 min), in order to prepare O/W emulsions (oil fraction = 0.

Effect of whey protein isolate films incorporated with montmorillonite and citric acid on the preservation of fresh-cut apples.

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of bioactive whey protein isolate/montmorillonite films containing citric acid on the inhibition of enzymatic browning and physicochemical properties in minimally processed apples. Whey protein isolate films incorporated with montmorillonite (3 g/100 g) and citric acid (5 and 10 g/100 g) were applied to the apples slices. All samples were packaged in polypropylene trays (14.

Starch, cellulose acetate and polyester biodegradable sheets: Effect of composition and processing conditions.

The production of biodegradable plastic materials using natural resources has aroused increased attention due to environmental concerns. This study aimed to manufacture novel, commercially feasible, biodegradable sheets by flat die extrusion-calendering process produced with thermoplastic starch/plasticized cellulose acetate (TPS/PCA) and thermoplastic starch/plasticized cellulose acetate/poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (TPS/PCA/PBAT) blends, and to investigate the effects of composition and processing conditions, morphological characteristics, and thermal properties. The results showed that TPS/PCA and TPS/PCA/PBAT biodegradable sheets properties were highly dependent upon both composition and processing temperature.

Development of chitosan/montmorillonite nanocomposites with encapsulated α-tocopherol.

Nanocomposites of chitosan (CS) were developed and characterized in a full factorial design with varying levels of montmorillonite (MMTNa) and encapsulated tocopherol (toc-encap). The structural properties (XRD, FTIR), morphology (TEM), hygroscopic properties (water vapour permeability, hydrophobicity, sorption isotherms) and optical properties (haze, CIELab parameters) of the resulting materials were evaluated. Toc-encap contents up to 10% influenced the intercalation of MMTNa in the CS matrix, resulting in films with reduced water vapour permeability (3.

Physical-mechanical and antimicrobial properties of nanocomposite films with pediocin and ZnO nanoparticles.

This work aimed to develop nanocomposite films of methyl cellulose (MC) incorporated with pediocin and zinc oxide nanoparticles (nanoZnO) using the central composite design and response surface methodology. This study evaluated film physical-mechanical properties, including crystallography by X-ray diffraction, mechanical resistance, swelling and color properties, microscopy characterization, thermal stability, as well as antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. NanoZnO and pediocin affected the crystallinity of MC.

Behaviour of polydiacetylene vesicles under different conditions of temperature, pH and chemical components of milk.

Blue polydiacetylene vesicles were studied with regard to their behaviour under variations in storage temperature, heating, potentiometric titration and in the presence of chemical components of milk, to evaluate their application as a sensor in the food industry. Vesicles were prepared using 10,12-pentacosadienoic acid (PCDA)/1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC). Their changes were monitored using UV-Vis absorption.

Multiple headspace-solid-phase microextraction as a powerful tool for the quantitative determination of volatile radiolysis products in a multilayer food packaging material sterilized with γ-radiation.

A method consisting of multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was developed and used to determine the main volatile radiolysis products formed by γ-irradiation of flexible multilayer food packaging samples. The developed method allows the use of solid-phase microextraction in the quantification of compounds from plastic solid samples. A screening of volatiles in the γ-irradiated and non-irradiated films was performed and 29 compounds were identified in the irradiated packaging, 17 of which were absent in the non-irradiated samples.

Bioactive Peptides: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications in the Packaging and Preservation of Food.

Bioactive peptides are protein fragments which have a positive impact on the functions and conditions of living beings. Peptides have shown several useful properties for human health, including antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, and antitumor activities. These compounds are produced by almost all species of life.

Efficacy of ozone as a fungicidal and detoxifying agent of aflatoxins in peanuts.

Background: Peanut contamination by fungi is a concern of processors and consumers owing to the association of these micro-organisms with quality deterioration and aflatoxin production. In this study the fungicidal and detoxifying effects of ozone on aflatoxins in peanuts was investigated. Peanut kernels were ozonated at concentrations of 13 and 21 mg L⁻¹ for periods of 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h.

Increased presevation of sliced mozzarella cheese by antimibrobial sachet incorporated with allyl isothiocyanate.

There is an increasing tendency to add natural antimicrobials of plant origin into food. The objective of this work was to develop a microbial sachet incorporated with allyl isothiocyanate (AIT), a volatile compound of plant origin, and to test its efficiency against growth of yeasts and molds, Staphylococcus sp. and psychrotrophic bacteria on sliced mozzarella cheese.