Edible Biocomposite Films From Tragacanth and Apricot Gums Reinforced With Marine Algal Polysaccharides: Development,...

Increasing environmental concerns over petroleum-based plastics have made the development of sustainable, functional food packaging a research priority. This study developed novel composite films by incorporating marine algal polysaccharides (MAPs) into matrices of either tragacanth gum (TG) or Prunus armeniaca L. gum (PAGE). The effects of incorporating purified fucoidan-rich MAPs at different concentrations (0%, 0.5%, and 1% w/w) on the physicochemical, mechanical, barrier, structural, and antimicrobial properties of the films were systematically evaluated. Film thickness, opacity, solubility, water vapor permeability (WVP), tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EB), thermal behavior, and morphological characteristics were analyzed to determine the influence of MAP incorporation. The results showed that specific formulations, particularly TG 1%-MAP 0.5% and PAGE 1%-MAP 0.5%, exhibited improved functional performance compared with other formulations. These films demonstrated increased UV-blocking capacity while maintaining visible light transparency, enhanced thickness and tensile strength, and reduced WVP. Structural and thermal analyses suggested improved matrix organization and thermal resistance in MAP-containing films, especially in the TG 1%-MAP 0.5% formulation. Antibacterial activity evaluated using the agar diffusion method showed measurable inhibition zones against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with the TG 1%-MAP 0.5% film exhibiting significantly larger inhibition zones of 20.00 ± 0.08 mm and 20.00 ± 0.32 mm against E. coli and B. cereus, respectively, compared to the PAGE-based counterparts. Overall, the findings indicate that the incorporation of MAPs into TG and PAGE polysaccharide matrices can modify film structure and functional properties, highlighting their potential for sustainable food packaging applications.