Antioxidant Activity and Diffusion of Catechin and Epicatechin from Antioxidant Active Films Made of Poly( l -lactic acid)

Active membranes and food packaging containing antioxidants like catechin and epicatechin, combined with the use of materials made of biopolymers obtained from renewable sources, could create a novel alternative to reduce oxidation in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products. Poly(94% L-lactic acid) films containing 1.28% catechin and 1.50% epicatechin were extruded in a pilot plant-scale extrusion machine. The diffusion kinetics of catechin and epicatechin into 95% ethanol at 20, 30, 40, and 50 °C and 50% ethanol at 40 °C displayed Fickian release behavior and diffusion coefficients between 0.5 and 50 × 10(-11) cm(2)/s. According to the Arrhenius equation, the energy of activation for the diffusion of catechin and epicatechin in the films was 110.43 and 98.92 kJ/mol, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the films was measured in methanol extracts containing 46.42 μg/mL of catechin and 57.52 μg/mL of epicatechin as 32.90 and 36.68% of scavenging the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, respectively.