Development of bio-based active packaging systems for lipid stabilization presents critical importance in preserving lipid integrity and ensuring food safety. Zein/citric acid (Z/CA) composite films containing grape seed ethanol extract (GSEE) (0-8% w/w) were prepared by the solvent casting method. The structural, functional, and environmental properties of the films, including physical and chemical properties, mechanical properties, antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, oxidation inhibition effect, and biodegradability, were comprehensively characterized and evaluated. Progressive GSEE enrichment significantly enhanced film thickness (p < 0.05), hydrophobicity, and total phenolic content, while increasing water vapor permeability by 61.29%. Antioxidant capacity demonstrated radical scavenging enhancements of 83.75% (DPPH) and 89.33% (ABTS) at maximal GSEE loading compared to control films. Mechanical parameters exhibited inverse proportionality to GSEE concentration, with tensile strength and elongation at break decreasing by 28.13% and 59.43%, respectively. SEM microstructural analysis revealed concentration-dependent increases in surface asperity and cross-sectional phase heterogeneity. Antimicrobial assays demonstrated selective bacteriostatic effects against Gram-negative pathogens. Notably, the composite film containing 6 wt% GSEE had a remarkable restraining effect on the oxidation of lard. The soil degradation experiment has confirmed that the Z/CA/GSEE composite film can achieve obvious degradation within 28 days. The above results indicate that the Z/CA/GSEE composite material emerges as a promising candidate for sustainable active food packaging applications.

With increasing global environmental awareness and concerns about food safety, biodegradable active packaging has garnered widespread attention. In this study, the stability and bioactivity of tea polyphenol (TP) were enhanced through the preparation of TP-ferric nanoparticles (TP-Fe NPs) using metal-polyphenol ion coordination. Moreover, the introduction of Fe ions can further enhance the antibacterial effects of TP-Fe NPs. Using the hydrogen bonding between konjac glucomannan (KGM) and zein to enhance the hydrophobicity and mechanical properties of the film. By employing KGM and zein as the matrix, we incorporated TP-Fe NPs as active fillers to create multifunctional active packaging films. This study aimed to meet the needs of food safety and sustainable development goals. The resulting film exhibited excellent water resistance (water contact angle: 117.73(degrees)), mechanical strength (tensile strength: 21.82 MPa, elongation at break: 94.30 %), ultraviolet-shielding ability (>99 %), biodegradability (5 days in soil), and antioxidant (>85 %) and antibacterial (>99 %) properties. Moreover, the film significantly reduced strawberry decay and extended its shelf life by 10 days. These findings provide new insights into the application of nanomaterials in active packaging, highlighting their potential and advantages in food preservation.

In this work, environmentally friendly materials based on zein, glycerol, and xanthan gum (XG) are developed through the innovative use of extrusion and injection-molding methodologies for this type of bioplastic materials. This methodology has never been applied to thermoplastic zein materials and this approach represents a significant advancement over traditional cast film methods, enabling enhanced control over properties and expanding potential applications thanks to the possibility of producing new geometries. Mechanical properties show that XG increases the stiffness and hardness of the materials, achieving elastic modulus of 1294 MPa and tensile strengths of 21 MPa. The thermal stability of the formulations is also enhanced by the addition of XG, which considerably increases the maximum degradation rate temperature from 259 up to 340 degrees C. The wettability of the materials is assessed by contact angle measurements, which show a very high hydrophilicity (29 degrees), nonetheless, it was decreased to not so extremely low contact angle values thanks to the addition of XG (50 degrees), which is very positive from the point of view of food packaging applications. Finally, all materials proved to be completely disintegrated under controlled compost conditions after 9 weeks of incubation in controlled compost soil conditions, verifying the great environmentally friendly value of these formulations.

The proliferation of petroleum-derived plastics has led to environmental concerns, prompting the exploration of sustainable alternatives. This study deals with the development of natural polymeric composite materials that can be used as alternatives to conventional plastics. In particular, biocomposite films were prepared by hot pressing a blend of carrot pomace (CP) with 10, 30 and 50 wt% of two vegetable proteins: wheat gluten (Gn) and zein (Z), for the optimization of the final properties of the developed biomaterials. The resulting composites exhibit improved physicochemical, morphological, and thermal properties and provide enhanced water resistance compared to CP-only bioplastics, while in particular, the ones prepared with Gn, exhibited also improved optical and mechanical properties, making Gn composites best candidates for a larger number of applications. Further optimization was achieved by adding 10 wt % polyglycerol plasticizer to the CP-50 wt% Gn composites, resulting in even better mechanical and oxygen barrier properties. These biocomposites show great potential for food packaging, offering mechanical resistance (elastic modulus of 244.9 +/- 25.3 MPa and tensile strength of 10.1 +/- 0.7 MPa), flexibility (elongation at break of 24.7 +/- 5.7%), high transparency and optical clarity, effective UVblocking in the 200-350 nm range, excellent antioxidant activity (3.4 mu mol Trolox/g) and water vapor (1.3 x 10-9 g s-1 m- 1 Pa-1) and oxygen (296.1 +/- 1 cm3 mu m m- 2 day-1 atm- 1) barrier properties. Additionally, they exhibit low migration of components into food simulants (6.7 +/- 0.6 mg dm-2) and fast biodegradation in soil (83% after 30 days). The findings reported in this manuscript motivate the adoption of eco-friendly materials and represent a significant step towards a sustainable future.