Chitosan-based films blended with moringa leaves and MgO nanoparticles for application in active food packaging

Ebtesam A Mohamad; Asmaa M Shehata; Aya M Abobah; Aya T Kholief; Manar A Ahmed; Mariam E Abdelhakeem; Nour K Dawood; Haitham S Mohammed

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127045

Chitosan-based films blended with moringa leaves and MgO nanoparticles for application in active food packaging

Int J Biol Macromol. 2023 Dec 31;253(Pt 6):127045. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127045. Epub 2023 Sep 28.

Authors

Ebtesam A Mohamad¹, Asmaa M Shehata², Aya M Abobah², Aya T Kholief², Manar A Ahmed², Mariam E Abdelhakeem², Nour K Dawood², Haitham S Mohammed³

Affiliations

¹ Radiology and Medical Imaging Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdul-Aziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia; Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: imohamed@sci.cu.edu.eg.
² Biotechnology/Biomolecular Chemistry Program, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
³ Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

PMID: 37776934
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127045

Abstract

This study aims to address the issue of environmental pollution caused by non-biodegradable petroleum-based food packaging by exploring the application of biodegradable films. Film casting was employed to fabricate food packaging films from chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymers blended with moringa extract (MoE) and various concentrations of magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs). The films were characterized through multiple techniques, including UV spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The study investigated the physicomechanical properties, water solubility, water vapor transmission rate, oxygen permeability, migration test, biodegradability, contact angle, anti-fogging, antibacterial and antifungal activity, and application of the films for food packaging. The results showed that blending CS/PVA films with MoE and MgO NPs significantly improved their mechanical properties. The highest tensile strength of 98 MPa was observed in the CPMMgO-0.5 film. The solubility of the films was low, with CPMMgO-0 and CPMMgO-0.25 demonstrating the lowest solubility as weight decreased by 3.41 % and 3.47 %, respectively. The water vapor transmission rate and oxygen permeability decreased with increasing MgO NP concentrations, with the CPMMgO-0.5 film exhibiting the lowest values. The films also demonstrated good biodegradability, anti-fogging ability, antibacterial and antifungal activity, and low water solubility, enabling bead encapsulation over 14 days in good condition. Moreover, the thermal stability of the films was improved, extending the shelf life of bread. Therefore, the fabricated films provide a promising alternative to non-degradable plastic packaging, which heavily contributes to environmental pollution.

Keywords: Active packaging; Bioactive polymer; Green MgO nanoparticles; Moringa.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Antifungal Agents
Chitosan* / chemistry
Food Packaging / methods
Magnesium Oxide
Nanoparticles* / chemistry
Oxygen
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
Steam

Substances

Chitosan
Magnesium Oxide
Antifungal Agents
Steam
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Oxygen