A new approach to nanocomposite carbohydrate polymer films: Levan and chia seed mucilage

Plastic pollution is increasing day by day and the search for new, environmentally friendly products continues. Herein, for the first time, different degrees of mucilage were obtained from chia seeds and the film-forming behavior of levan biopolymer with these mucilages was investigated. Glycerol and sorbitol were used as plasticizers in the film design. Films prepared with sorbitol were characterized physically, mechanically and morphologically. The antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of the films were examined. The films formed as nanocomposites of levan and chia seed mucilages obtained at different temperatures (25 °C, 55 °C and 80 °C) exhibited structurally and mechanically different properties. It was observed that the films obtained with chia mucilages and levan preserved their antibacterial properties but lost their antifungal properties. In addition, quorum sensing property of the mucilage obtained at 55 °C during the investigation of the antibacterial property was reported for the first time with this study. The levan-based chia seed mucilages films obtained have the potential to be used in industrial and medical fields, and the nature-friendly nature of these films is very important for our green world.