Improved mechanical characteristics and shelf life of sustainable biodegradable food packaging films via integration of rice straw nanocellulose, Moringa oleifera extract and gelatin

Abstract

The rising demand for sustainable food packaging has spurred greater interest in biodegradable materials that minimize environmental footprints while preserving essential functional properties. In the study, Potato starch film designed with nanocrystals (CNC) derived from rice straw and Moringa oleifera leaf extract incorporated with gelatin have been developed as an efficient alternative to the present food packaging material. The incorporation of 2 % CNC was found to enhance the mechanical properties, increasing the tensile strength of the films from 0.83 MPa to 4.48 MPa. Further incorporation of Moringa extracts improved tensile strength to 7.63 MPa with 1.5 % extract concentration, while also increasing elongation at break to 44.21 %. The films developed in the study were characterized by using FTIR, XRD and DSC analysis. From the results, the addition of moringa leaf extract was found to enhance antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect. The film has also been shown to have antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus. The developed film potential was analyzed by observing the shelf life of Indian diary products wrapped with it and kept in different temperatures. To analyze biodegrading ability of the developed film test was perfomed providing rates of 63.9 % after 30 days in soil. This research highlights the potential of utilizing agricultural byproducts for sustainable food packaging, contributing to extended food shelf life and reducing environmental impact through biodegradable, active packaging solutions.

Keywords: Active packaging; Antioxidant properties; Biodegradable packaging; Cellulose nanocrystals; Moringa oleifera; Reinforced biopolymer films; Shelf-life extension.