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Polysaccharide-based films of cactus mucilage and agar with antioxidant properties for active food packaging

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Abstract

The production of films derived from renewable resources for food packaging applications is an important research area within the scope of sustainable development. Herein, fully biobased films made from cactus mucilage (CM), extracted from Algerian Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes, and agar (A), extracted from marine red algae, were assembled via solvent film casting method. The effect of agar concentration on the properties of the plasticized CM films (40 wt.% glycerol) was evaluated at three different mass ratios of CM/A, namely 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50. Overall, the results revealed that the polysaccharide-based films exhibited good mechanical properties (Young’s modulus ≥ 135 MPa and tensile strength ≥ 5.3 MPa) and UV-light protection (transmittance ≤ 40% (200–400 nm)), as well as thermal stability up to 140 °C, low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR ≤ 10.6 g h−1 m−2) and moderate antioxidant activity (DPPH scavenging ≥ 19% and ferric reducing antioxidant power ≥ 1.3 mg AAE per g of film). Following from this, the pliable freestanding CM/A-based films with UV protection, water barrier properties and antioxidant activity can be a low-cost and eco-friendly option for the development of active food packaging materials.

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Funding

This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020 & UIDP/50011/2020) financed by national funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)/MCTES. FCT is also acknowledged for the research contracts under Scientific Employment Stimulus to C.S.R.F. (CEECIND/00464/2017) and C.V. (CEECIND/00263/2018). The authors also thank the University of Bejaia and the Direction Générale de la Recherche Scientifique et Développement Technologique, Algeria, for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Université de Bejaia, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la vie, 06000, Bejaia, Algérie

    Nawal Makhloufi & Elias Benramdane

  2. Département Des Sciences Alimentaires, Faculté Des Sciences de La Nature Et de La Vie, Université de Bejaia, 06000, Bejaia, Algérie

    Nadia Chougui

  3. Laboratoire Des Matériaux Organiques, Faculté de Technologie, Université de Bejaia, 06000, Bejaia, Algérie

    Farouk Rezgui

  4. Department of Chemistry, CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carmen S. R. Freire & Carla Vilela

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  1. Nawal Makhloufi
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  2. Nadia Chougui
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  3. Farouk Rezgui
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  4. Elias Benramdane
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  5. Armando J. D. Silvestre
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  6. Carmen S. R. Freire
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  7. Carla Vilela
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Contributions

Conceptualization: NC, CV; Methodology: NM, CV; Formal analysis and investigation: NM, EB, CV; Writing—original draft preparation: NM, CV; Writing—review and editing: NM, NC, FR, EB, AJDS, CSRF, CV; Funding acquisition: NC, FR, AJDS, CSRF; Resources: NC, FR, AJDS; Supervision: NC, FR, CSRF, CV.

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Correspondence to Nadia Chougui or Carla Vilela.

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Makhloufi, N., Chougui, N., Rezgui, F. et al. Polysaccharide-based films of cactus mucilage and agar with antioxidant properties for active food packaging. Polym. Bull. 79, 11369–11388 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-022-04092-7

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