Betacyanin-enriched pectin/gellan gum films for real-time mushroom freshness

Growing awareness about the nutritional benefits of mushrooms have driven global boom in their production. However, due to their highly perishable nature, real-time freshness monitoring is essential for quality control and consumer safety. Therefore, an economically viable pH sensitive indicator films were prepared by dispersing Bougainvillea glabra (BG) extract (10 %, 30 %, and 50 % v/v) within pectin (PCT)-gellan gum (GG) matrix. To ensure sustainability, the extraction of betacyanin pigment from BG was done in water and further assimilated within the affordable biopolymer matrix of PCT/GG, as confirmed by FTIR and SEM analysis. PCT/GG film matrix with BG extract (PGB) depicted increase in film thickness, and water vapor transmission rate, with reduction in contact angle, and moisture content as compared to the pectin-gellan gum (PG) film. The PGB50 film prepared using 50 % v/v BG extract, depicted highest mechanical, light barrier, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties over other PG/PGB films under consideration. The color of the BG extract changed from pink to green as a response to varying pH (1-12). During real-time freshness assessment, PGB films changed color from pink to brown, highlighting their suitability for monitoring the shelf-life of highly perishable commodity like mushrooms.