Recovery of pectin and hemicellulose from hibiscus sabdariffa and their application in biofilm production

The increasing demand for environmentally sustainable packaging materials has intensified research on biodegradable films derived from plant-based polysaccharides. In this study, pectin and hemicellulose were extracted from Hibiscus sabdariffa var. sabdariffa calyces and used to develop biodegradable composite films. Film formulations were optimized using response surface methodology based on a central composite design to evaluate the effects of the pectin–hemicellulose ratio and glycerol concentration on water solubility, tensile strength, and elongation at break of the films. The optimal formulation, containing a pectin-to-hemicellulose ratio of 73.50% and 24.31% glycerol, yielded films with a tensile strength of 15.77 MPa, elongation at break of 15.58%, and water solubility of 66.33%, demonstrating a favorable balance between mechanical strength and flexibility. Hemicellulose incorporation enhanced film stability compared with pure pectin films. Moreover, the films exhibited substantial biodegradability, losing over 56% of their mass after 12 days of soil burial. These findings highlight pectin–hemicellulose films from Hibiscus sabdariffa as a promising sustainable alternative to petroleum-based packaging for food applications.