Demonstrates improved mechanical properties and antioxidant activity in biodegradable packaging films, suggesting a sustainable solution for food preservation.
The growing prevalence of food loss and environmental issues caused by the use of nonbiodegradable plastics in the food packaging sector necessitates the development of high barrier multifunctional smart films with disintegration under soil burial potential. Herein, a packaging film was fabricated via calcium ion cross-linking of a κ-carrageenan (C)/sodium alginate (S) system infused with anthocyanin and Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. heart wood extract. Cross-linking with Ca2+ significantly improved the water stability and mechanical property of the polymer system. Zein/palmitic acid-based coating on the film improved the water barrier properties considerably, with a reduction in the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) from 281 to 76 g/(m2 day). The cross-linked composite film with coating (CSAN2AR2CR-C) exhibited an outstanding oxygen transmission rate value (OTR) of 0.925 cc/m2 day, UV blocking capability (99.9% UV-C, 99.9% UV-B, and 98.6% UV-A), antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals. Additionally, the film exhibited excellent sensitivity toward ammonia gas, undergoing a color change from pinkish red to green upon exposure. The complexation with metal ions and surface coating improved the storage stability of anthocyanin, maintaining ∼89% of anthocyanin content even after storage for 33 days under ambient conditions. The CSAN2AR2CR-C film, which disintegrates under soil burial, showed potential to serve as a sustainable freshness monitoring indicator, tracking the spoilage level of protein-rich foods such as beef through visible color change.
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Sangeetha et al. (2026) studied this question.
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