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.

This study targets explicitly finding an alternative to petroleum-based plastic films that burden the environment, which is a high priority. Hence, polymeric films were prepared with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) (4%), pectin (2%), and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) (0.5%) with different concentrations of thymol (0.3%, 0.9%, 1.8%, 3%, and 5%) and glycerol as a plasticizer by solution casting technique. The prepared films were tested for mechanical, optical, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Film F5 (CMC + P + PHB + 0.9%thymol) showed an excellent tensile strength of 15 MPa, Young's modulus of 395 MPa, antioxidant activity (AA) (92%), rapid soil biodegradation (21 days), and strong antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal cultures such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus flavus. The thymol content increase in films F6 (1.8%), F7 (3%), and F8 (5%) displayed a decrease in mechanical properties due to thymol's hydrophobicity. For shelf life studies on tomatoes, F2, a film without thymol (poor antimicrobial and antioxidant activities), F5 (film with superior mechanical, optical, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties), and F7 (film with low mechanical properties) were selected. Film F5 coatings on tomato fruit enhanced the shelf life of up to 15 days by preventing weight loss, preserving firmness, and delaying changes in biochemical constituents like lycopene, phenols, and AA. Based on the mechanical, optical, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and shelf life results, the film F5 is suitable for active food packaging and preservation.

Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)-based nanocomposites, reinforced and toughened with ZnO-coated multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNT-ZnO), demonstrate significantly enhanced properties, making them ideal for potential applied in food packaging applications. This study explores the effects of varying proportions of MWCNT-ZnO on the overall characteristics of these composites. The addition of 0.1 parts per hundred (phr) MWCNT-ZnO optimizes the nanocomposites' mechanical properties, crystallinity, melting temperature, thermal stability, and barrier performance. Specifically, the composite exhibits a 22% increase in tensile strength, a 28.4% rise in yield strength, and a remarkable 95.7% enhancement in the material's elongation at break, compared to the pure PBS matrix. Moreover, these nanocomposites exhibit excellent antibacterial properties, crucial for food preservation and safety. The soil burial test indicates that, except for the addition of 0.1phr which is lower than pure PBS, the biodegradation rate increases with the increasing addition of MWCNT-ZnO. This further suggests that a low nanoparticle filler content can enhance structural compactness, thereby improving the mechanical stability. The study also reveals notable preservation benefits for vegetables. When used for beef packaging, this composite material successfully extends the meat's freshness period, substantially curtails bacterial proliferation, and ensures the beef remains within safe consumption parameters. The combination of enhanced mechanical, thermal, barrier, and antibacterial properties makes PBS/MWCNT-ZnO nanocomposites promising candidates for sustainable and efficient food packaging materials.