Recently, there has been an increasing interest in biodegradable films for extending food's shelf life. This study developed pectin-potato starch-based films incorporating varying pyrogallol concentrations and evaluated shelf life their physical, antioxidant, mechanical, optical, antibacterial, structural, biodegradation, and shelf-life properties. Among the tested films (F1, pectin; F2, pectin + potato starch; F3, pectin + potato starch + 0.5%pyrogallol; and F4, pectin + potato starch + 1%pyrogallol), F4 exhibited superior antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (42 mm), Klebsiella pneumoniae (20.5 mm), and Escherichia coli (25.5 mm), antioxidant activity (AA) (95% (diphenylpicrylhydrazyl), 76% (metal chelating activity), and 87% (hydroxyl radical scavenging assay)), mechanical, and soil biodegradation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed biocompatibility, whereas differential scanning calorimetry studies showed thermal stability. Shelf-life studies on tomatoes at 30 degrees C demonstrated that F4 film coating extended shelf life to 21 days by reducing weight loss (14.5%), total phenolic content (25 mg/100 g), AA (53.5%), firmness (46 N), and titratable acidity (0.38%) while maintaining the total soluble solids, pH, lycopene content, color, and microbial inhibition. This study introduces a novel active biodegradable film with enhanced antimicrobial, mechanical, and antioxidant properties for sustainable food packaging applications.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivation faces significant challenges: highland cultivation leads to soil erosion and fertility degradation, while medium-land cultivation is constrained by suboptimal temperature and humidity conditions. Processing potatoes into starch improves shelf life and economic value, however, native potato starch has limited food applications due to heat sensitivity, high viscosity, and its propensity for retrogradation and syneresis. This study investigated the effects of cultivation altitude and modification methods on the physicochemical and functional properties of potato starch from 'Medians' cultivar, comparing samples from medium-land (765 m above sea level) and highland (1312 m above sea level) locations. Starch modifications included Heat Moisture Treatment (HMT), crosslinking with Monosodium Phosphate (MSP), and a combined treatment (CLM-HMT). A factorial randomized complete block design was employed to analyze physicochemical characteristics, functional properties, and pasting behavior, with statistical significance determined using two-way ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range Test (p < 0.05). Results revealed significant effects of cultivation altitude, modification method, and their interaction on starch properties. Highland-grown modified starch exhibited superior characteristics in color properties and thermal stability. Modification methods improved starch thermal stability and minimized retrogradation, with the combined CLM-HMT treatment yielding optimal results. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing potato starch production and modification techniques, contributing to sustainable agriculture and broadening its applications in the food industry.

The objective of this study is to seek correlations between phosphate fertilization rates in potato cultivation and the chemical composition and physicochemical properties of the potato starch. Potato starches are prepared from the potato tubers cultivated in two different districts in Hokkaido, Japan, with different soil characteristics using varied phosphate fertilization rates. The chemical composition of the potato starches such as the amylose, phosphorus, and potassium contents and their physicochemical properties such as the swelling power, solubility, and pasting and thermal properties are evaluated. The results show that the phosphate fertilization rate has a moderate and positive correlation with the amylose content, while no correlations are found with any other chemical composition and physicochemical properties, including the phosphorus content. One plausible explanation for the lack of the correlation between the phosphate fertilization rate and the phosphorus content in the starch is that a sufficient amount of phosphorus has already been accumulated in the soils to phosphorylate the starch to the highest possible degree without further application of phosphate fertilizers. The present results imply that reducing the phosphate fertilization rate in potato cultivation in the studied fields has no negative impact on the chemical composition and physicochemical properties of potato starch. The present study demonstrates that the phosphate fertilization rate during potato cultivation in the examined commercial farm fields has a positive correlation with the amylose content of the potato starch but no negative impacts on its phosphorus content, swelling power, solubility, pasting properties, and thermal properties.image

The improper disposal of plastics is a growing concern due to increasing global environmental problems such as the rise of CO2 emissions, diminishing petroleum sources, and pollution, which necessitates the research and development of biodegradable materials as an alternative to conventional packaging materials. The purpose of this research was to analyse the properties of biodegradable polymer blends of thermoplastic potato starch (TPS) and polylactide, (PLA) without and with the addition of citric acid (CA) as a potential compatibilizer and plasticizer. The prepared blends were subjected to a comprehensive physicochemical characterization, which included: FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), determination of thermal and mechanical properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), water vapour permeability (WVP), as well as biodegradation testing in soil. The obtained results indicate an improvement in adhesion between the TPS and PLA phases due to the addition of citric acid, better homogeneity of the structure, and greater compatibility of the polymer blends, leading to better thermal, mechanical and barrier properties of the studied biodegradable TPS/PLA polymer blends. After conducting the comprehensive research outlined in this paper, it has been determined that the addition of 5 wt.% of citric acid serves as an effective compatibilizer and plasticizer. This supplementation achieves an optimal equilibrium across thermal, mechanical, morphological, and barrier properties, while also promoting material sustainability through biodegradation. In conclusion, it can be stated that the use of thermoplastic starch in TPS/PLA blends accelerates the biodegradation of PLA as a slowly biodegradable polymer. While the addition of citric acid offers significant advantages for TPS/PLA blends, further research is needed to optimize the formulation and processing parameters to achieve the desired balance between mechanical strength, thermal and barrier properties and biodegradability.