Development of ecofriendly active food packaging materials based on blends of cross-linked poly (vinyl alcohol) and Piper betle Linn. leaf extract

Abstract

Development of active packaging materials for food preservation has been a topic of interest over the years. Herein we report the preparation and characterization of novel active films based on the combination of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), maltodextrin, agar and Piper betle Linn. leaf extract (PBLLE) for application in food preservation. Agar and maltodextrin were co-used as cross-linking agents aiming at improving the hydrophobicity of the PVA film. All the additives exhibited high compatibility with the PVA matrix and provided significant enhancement in film properties compared to the unmodified PVA. PBLLE was found to impart strong antibacterial activities and UV blocking property to the films. Moreover, the addition of PBLLE also remarkably increased the film flexibility owing to chemical and physical interactions between chemical compounds in the extract and the polymer network. The as-prepared blend films showed their effectiveness in prolonging the self-life of bread and mango, demonstrating a great potential for their practical applications in active food packaging field.