Effect of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles on Glycerol-Plasticized Anionic and Cationic Polysaccharide Edible Films

Abstract

This study describes the production of reinforced polysaccharide (PS)-based films, by adding mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), to either pectin (PEC) or chitosan (CH) film forming solutions, either containing glycerol (GLY) as a plasticizer, or not. Film characterization demonstrated that MSNs and GLY were able to significantly increase the plasticity of both PS-based biomaterials and that the interactions between PSs and nanoparticles were mainly due to hydrogen bonds. Moreover, MSN-containing films were less transparent, compared to controls prepared with either PEC or CH, in the absence of GLY, while all films containing MSNs, but obtained with the plasticizer, were as transparent as the films prepared with PEC or CH alone. MSN addition did not influence the thickness of the PEC-based films, but increased that of CH-based ones, prepared both in the absence and presence of GLY. MSN-containing PEC-based films possessed a more compact and homogeneous morphology, with respect to both control films, prepared, with or without GLY, and to the CH-based films, containing MSNs, the structure of which showed numerous agglomerations. Finally, moisture content and uptake were reduced, in all films prepared in the presence of MSNs. The suggested addition of MSNs might have given rise to novel biomaterials for food or pharmaceutical applications.

Effect of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles on The Physicochemical Properties of Pectin Packaging Material for Strawberry Wrapping

“…This result was obtained also by Fernandez-Bats et al [14], that have studied protein films, concluding that the MSN addition gives rise to materials less permeable to gases and WV. The obtained results could be explained taking into account the structure of such films studied in a recent work [55]. In fact, in this study it has been reported that MSN-containing PEC-based films possess a more compact and homogeneous structure in comparison to the film prepared without any MSNs [55].…”

“…In particular, the PEC-based films containing MSNs or GLY showed a higher value of EB, and a reduced YM, while a more marked effect on these parameters was obtained by adding both MSNs and GLY. At the same time, the concurrent presence of MSNs and GLY significantly reduced the tensile strength of the PEC-based films [55].…”

“…Giosafatto et al [55], evaluated the effect of 3% MSNs or/and 30% GLY on the 0.6% PEC and 0.6% chitosan, and they demonstrated that MSNs and GLY significantly increased the plasticity of both kinds of films. In particular, the PEC-based films containing MSNs or GLY showed a higher value of EB, and a reduced YM, while a more marked effect on these parameters was obtained by adding both MSNs and GLY.…”

Biopolymer-Based Films Enriched with Stevia rebaudiana Used for the Development of Edible and Soluble Packaging

“…Taking into account the fact that the total amount of plastic use currently exceeds 200 million tons annually, with an increase of about 5% per year, it is essential that alternative materials be used instead of conventional, non-recyclable and/or non-biodegradable packaging, thus solving many ecological problems. A relevant example is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch-in the central North Pacific, where plastic waste has formed an artificial island of about one million km 2 , the result of marine pollution [1]. At present, tons of plastic packaging are discarded into nature, making the waste problem a bigger one year after year.…”

“…Recycling the packaging would be impractical and economically inconvenient, because of the residues from food products and other biological substances. Under the circumstances, the use of biodegradable and eco-friendly biopolymer-based packaging represents the best candidate for reducing the huge amount of conventional plastics, being "bioplastics, manufactured exclusively with natural polymers, which are able to be fully recycled into the environment, into a short time, following their utilization as packaging materials" [2].…”