Polylactic Acid/Bamboo Leaf Extract Electrospun Mats with Antioxidant Activity for Food Packaging Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Food Packaging Technology

Background:

• Active and biodegradable packaging is crucial for extending food shelf-life and reducing environmental impact.
• Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer with potential for packaging, but requires functionalization for enhanced properties.
• Bamboo leaf extract (BLE) offers natural antioxidant compounds that can be incorporated into packaging materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an active and biodegradable packaging material using electrospun polylactic acid (PLA) incorporated with bamboo leaf extract (BLE).
• To investigate the structure-property relationships of PLA/BLE electrospun membranes with varying BLE concentrations.
• To evaluate the antioxidant activity, mechanical properties, and wettability of the developed packaging material.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of PLA/BLE composite membranes with varying BLE content (10-40 wt%).
• Morphological characterization using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
• Assessment of mechanical properties (modulus, stress, strain), wettability, total polyphenol content (FOLIN assay), and antioxidant activity (FRAP assay).

Main Results:

• SEM analysis showed BLE influences fiber morphology and diameter, with higher concentrations potentially enhancing PLA chain mobility.
• Mechanical properties (modulus, stress, strain) decreased with increasing BLE content but remained suitable for packaging.
• Increased BLE content led to enhanced hydrophilicity, higher total polyphenol content, and improved antioxidant activity.

Conclusions:

• Electrospun PLA/BLE membranes represent a promising active and biodegradable packaging material.
• BLE incorporation effectively imparts antioxidant properties and modifies surface characteristics of PLA.
• The developed material shows potential for sustainable food packaging solutions with tunable functionalities.