Sustainability in biodegradable films and packaging is a desirable goal for eco-friendly food packaging. This study developed novel biodegradable films from the green alga Spirogyra sp. Cellulose extraction from Spirogyra sp. was optimized and synthesized to carboxymethyl cellulose via a carboxymethylation reaction using monochloroacetic acid with various sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentrations (0.25–5 M) and various times (10–300 min). Then, the different products containing the carboxymethyl cellulose of Spirogyra sp. (CMCss) were processed into films using a solvent-casting technique with various plasticizers; subsequently, the films were investigated for their physical and mechanical properties, along with their biodegradability. Based on the results, the optimum conditions for producing cellulose were 1 M NaOH for 30 min, which produced the highest yield of cellulose (20.04 %). The CMCss film were slightly heterogeneous. The addition of plasticizers (glycerol, polyethylene glycol, sorbitol) increased the solubility, especially in the sorbitol film. Furthermore, compared to the control, there were reductions in water vapor permeability (17–50 %) and transparency (16 %) in the CMCss films. Notably, the CMCss film was readily biodegraded, with more than 80 % weight loss within 1 week. Based on these findings, the CMCss films should be useful in the development of a sustainable alternative for biodegradable food packaging.
Soiklom et al. (Fri,) studied this question.