Characterization of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Flour Films: Effects of pH and Plasticizer Concentration

The use of flours as a material for biopolymer-based film preparation has gained interest due to the fact that they are a natural mixture of compatible macromolecules and due to their low cost. Chickpea flour shows a promising composition for the development of edible films. The aim of this study was to characterize and evaluate the properties of chickpea flour films as affected by pH (7 or 10) and plasticizer concentration (1% or 3% w/v) of film-forming solutions. Water vapor permeability, solubility, color, opacity, mechanical properties, thermal stability, structural changes by Fourier transform infrared analysis, and microstructure of the films were determined. Glycerol content and pH influenced chickpea flour film properties, microstructure and structural organization; interactions were also observed. The 1% glycerol films showed lower water vapor permeability, thickness, radical scavenging capacity, elongation at break and puncture deformation, and higher dry matter content, swelling, opacity, elastic modulus, and tensile and puncture strengths than 3% glycerol films. Film-forming solutions at pH 10 produced films with higher thickness and swelling, and were greener than those from solutions at neutral pH. The changes were more intense in 1% glycerol films. Glycerol concentration and pH could be combined in order to obtain chickpea flour films with different properties according to different food packaging requirements.