Enhanced functionalities of cassava starch-based films incorporating berberine nanoparticles for sustainable food...

Cassava starch is a biodegradable polymer with limited functional properties for packaging. To enhance its performance, cassava starch was complexed with berberine to form a nano-berberine-starch complex and cast into active films. Modeling indicated favorable binding (score 23.88) via hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions. The complex showed a bimodal size distribution (81 nm, 44.3 %; 318 nm, 32.7 %). Incorporation at suitable loadings improved film surface uniformity, mechanics, and bioactivity: antioxidant capacity reached 63.12 % and 56.4 % for both radicals, antibacterial efficacy increased, and biodegradation reached 57.2 % after 30 days versus native starch films. In a sausage model, the films suppressed microbial growth and lipid/protein spoilage, maintaining Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) at 1.7 mg MDA/kg and Total Volatile Basic Nitrogen (TVB-N) at 8.50 mg/100 g over 15 days at 4 °C, outperforming commercial packaging. These findings highlight nano-berberine-starch as a promising strategy for multifunctional, biodegradable films that extend meat shelf life.