Active and Intelligent Biodegradable Packaging Based on Anthocyanins for Preserving and Monitoring Protein-Rich Foods

Abstract

Currently, active and intelligent packaging has been developed to solve the spoilage problem for protein-rich foods during storage, especially by adding anthocyanin extracts. In such a film system, the antioxidant and antibacterial properties were dramatically increased by adding anthocyanins. The physicochemical properties were enhanced through interactions between the active groups in the anthocyanins and reactive groups in the polymer chains. Additionally, the active and intelligent film could monitor the spoilage of protein-rich foods in response to pH changes. Therefore, this film could monitor the sensory acceptance and extend the shelf life of protein-rich foods simultaneously. In this paper, the structural and functional properties of anthocyanins, composite actions of anthocyanin extracts and biomass materials, and reinforced properties of the active and intelligent film were discussed. Additionally, the applications of this film in quality maintenance, shelf-life extension, and quality monitoring for fresh meat, aquatic products, and milk were summarized. This film, which achieves high stability and the continuous release of anthocyanins on demand, may become an underlying trend in packaging applications for protein-rich foods.

Acidochromic Free-Standing Multilayered Chitosan-Pyranoflavylium/Alginate Membranes toward Food Smart Packaging Applications

“…Having this in mind, several studies have been reported in the literature to assess the degree of conservation of perishable foods such as meat, fish, and dairy products using pH-sensitive natural dyes, namely anthocyanins, to develop colorimetric pH-responsive films that act as indicators of food freshness in real-time. − However, the use of such dyes for these applications is still limited because they lose more than 50% of their color between pH 4 and 7, a critical range for monitoring color changes during food spoilage, due to the establishment of a complex chemical equilibrium network involving reversible reactions such as hydration, tautomerization, isomerization, as well as irreversible oxidative degradation mechanisms. − …”

Research Progress on the Extraction and Purification of Anthocyanins and Their Interactions with Proteins

“…Compared with synthetic pigments, natural pigments have higher stability and safety. Among them, anthocyanins are one of the best natural substitutes for artificially synthesized pigments and have been used widely because of their good biological activities and safety [ 3 ]. Numerous studies have confirmed that anthocyanins exhibit various biological activities including antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, vision protection, and anti-aging [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

“…Thus, the research on the stabilization of anthocyanins is currently a hot topic that urgently needs to be addressed. Previous studies have found that copigmentation, structural modification, and encapsulation strategies could significantly improve the stability of anthocyanins [ 1 , 3 ]. However, these methods still have problems such as low yield, poor safety, and difficulty in maintaining the color of anthocyanins.…”