Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.0
4.7
Journals
Polymers
Special Issues
Development and Characterization of Edible Films
polymers-logo
Submit to Polymers Review for Polymers Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Development and Characterization of Edible Films

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 July 2023) | Viewed by 9757

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Saurabh Bhatia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa 616, Oman
Interests: food packaging technology; edible coatings; antimicrobial packaging; natural preservatives
Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Harrasi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, P.O. Box 33, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa 616, Oman
Interests: natural products; polymeric chemistry; essential oils
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Edible films are considered smart packaging materials with a variety of applications in the food industry. These green packaging materials with immense antimicrobial and antioxidant potential are being developed to enhance food safety and preservation. Recent trends in the food packaging industry clearly represent the importance of macromolecules-based edible films in terms of their safety, biodegradability, edibility, functionality, as well as antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The fabrication of edible films by optimizing the product composition and process conditions demands a great deal of insight to study their effects on the physical and chemical properties of the films. Process conditions (pH, drying temperature, viscosity, homogenization speed, etc.), as well as type, amount, and chemical interaction between the components of the film, significantly impact the film mechanical, barrier, crystallinity, optical, and thermal properties. The design, selection, and optimization of composite films using macromolecules (lipids, proteins, polysaccharides), loading materials (essential oils, extracts, etc.), plasticizers (glycerol, sorbitol, etc.), and surfactants (tween 80) require a sufficient understanding to overcome the drawbacks of films based on a single polymer. Moreover, structural changes such as multilayers and surface functionalization have also been studied to tailor suitable composite films with improved properties. To impart antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and to improve the shelf life of packed food, it is important to incorporate safe and effective loading materials such as essential oils, plant extracts, etc. and study their effect on film behavior. Thus, the optimization of raw material and process conditions used for edible films needs more attention. The purpose of this Special Issue is to attract papers based on recent developments in the field of edible films.

We sincerely invite high-quality original research and review papers on both experimental and theoretical works addressing these topics:

  • Effect of product and process parameters on physical and chemical properties of composite films.
  • Composition vs. barrier properties of edible films.
  • Antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of edible films.
  • Advancement in food-packaging-based biomaterials.
  • Thermal and crystalline behavior of edible films.
  • Preconditioning of edible films.

Sincerely,
Dr. Saurabh Bhatia
Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Harrasi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymeric composite material
  • edible films
  • biopolymers
  • physiochemical properties
  • shelf life
  • food safety

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 2834 KiB  
Article
Modification of Physio-Mechanical Properties of Chitosan-Based Films via Physical Treatment Approach
by Endarto Yudo Wardhono, Mekro Permana Pinem, Sidik Susilo, Bintang Junita Siom, Agung Sudrajad, Agus Pramono, Yenny Meliana and Erwann Guénin
Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5216; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14235216 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3259
Abstract
The premise of this work is the modification of the properties of chitosan-based film for possible use in food packaging applications. The biofilm was prepared via thermal and mechanical treatment through blending polymers with chitosan using Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) and loading different types [...] Read more.
The premise of this work is the modification of the properties of chitosan-based film for possible use in food packaging applications. The biofilm was prepared via thermal and mechanical treatment through blending polymers with chitosan using Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) and loading different types of chemical agents, i.e., citric acid (CA), succinic acid (SA), and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). The modification was carried out under high-speed homogenization at elevated temperature to induce physical cross-linkage of chitosan polymer chains without a catalyst. The findings showed that PVA improved the chitosan films’ Tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (Eb). The presence of chemicals caused an increase in the film strength for all samples prepared, in which a 5% w/w of chemical in the optimum composition CS/PVA (75/25) provided the maximum strength, namely, 33.9 MPa, 44.0 MPa, and 41.9 MPa, for CA-5, SA-5, and TEOS-5, respectively. The chemical agents also increased the water contact angles for all tested films, indicating that they promoted hydrophobicity. The chemical structure analysis showed that, by incorporating three types of chemical agents into the CS/PVA blend films, no additional spectral bands were found, indicating that no covalent bonds were formed. The thermal properties showed enhancement in melting peak and degradation temperature of the blend films, compared to those without chemical agents at the optimum composition. The X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited that PVA led to an increasing crystallization tendency in the blend films. The morphological observation proved that no irregularities were detected in CS/PVA blend films, representing high compatibility with both polymers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Characterization of Edible Films)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 6301 KiB  
Article
Gallic Acid Crosslinked Gelatin and Casein Based Composite Films for Food Packaging Applications
by Saurabh Bhatia, Ahmed Al-Harrasi, Mohammed Said Al-Azri, Sana Ullah, Hafiz A. Makeen, Abdulkarim M. Meraya, Mohammed Albratty, Asim Najmi and Md. Khalid Anwer
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4065; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194065 - 28 Sep 2022
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3153
Abstract
In the current work, we fabricated gelatin–casein-based edible films (GC-EFs) crosslinked with gallic acid (GA). We analyzed the physiochemical characteristics, crystallinity, thermal stability, and surface properties of the EFs using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron [...] Read more.
In the current work, we fabricated gelatin–casein-based edible films (GC-EFs) crosslinked with gallic acid (GA). We analyzed the physiochemical characteristics, crystallinity, thermal stability, and surface properties of the EFs using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the edible films possessed a semi-crystalline structure. Addition of GA enhanced the thermal stability of the edible films as well as the surface properties of the films. It was found that a higher concentration of GA (4–5% w/v) significantly improved the surface properties, observed in the surface and cross-sectional examination of SEM micrographs. EFs containing higher amounts of GA showed more compact and denser structures with smoother and more homogeneous surfaces than the control samples. In addition, swelling degree (SD), thickness, water solubility (WS), moisture content (MC), and water vapor permeability (WVP) were found to be low in EFs containing more GA concentration. Mechanical parameters revealed that the Young modulus (Ym) and tensile strength (TS) increased with a rise in GA concentration, and elongation at break (EB) reduced with a rise in GA concentration. In transparency and color analysis, it was observed that GA positively affected the transparency of the edible films. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Characterization of Edible Films)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 2640 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Physiochemical Characterization of Bitter Orange Oil Loaded Sodium Alginate and Casein Based Edible Films
by Saurabh Bhatia, Ahmed Al-Harrasi, Mohammed Said Al-Azri, Sana Ullah, Alaa El-Din Ahmed Bekhit, Anubhav Pratap-Singh, Manish Kumar Chatli, Md. Khalid Anwer and Mohammed F. Aldawsari
Polymers 2022, 14(18), 3855; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14183855 - 15 Sep 2022
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 2843
Abstract
Biopolymers-based composite edible films are gaining interest in the food packaging industry due to their sustainable nature and diverse biological activities. In the current study, we used sodium alginate (SA) and casein (CA) for the fabrication of composite film using the casting method. [...] Read more.
Biopolymers-based composite edible films are gaining interest in the food packaging industry due to their sustainable nature and diverse biological activities. In the current study, we used sodium alginate (SA) and casein (CA) for the fabrication of composite film using the casting method. We also added orange oil to the edible film and assessed its impact on the biological, chemical, physical, and barrier properties of the films. The fabricated films were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was observed that CA–SA films loaded with 1.5% OEO had better visual attributes, and a further increase in oil concentration was not found to be as favorable. Mechanical assessment of the films revealed that CA–SA-OEO (1.5%) film showed lower puncture deformation and higher puncture force values. XRD data showed that all samples exhibited peaks at similar positions (21° of 2θ) with different intensities. In FTIR analysis, characteristic peaks of the film components (sodium alginate, casein, and orange oil) were reported at corresponding positions. The thermal stability of films was enhanced after the addition of the OEO (1.5%), however, a greater increase in OEO caused a decrease in the thermal stability, observed during TGA analysis. Moreover, the surface of the blank CA–SA film (FL1) was found to be rough (with cracks) compared to CA–SA films (FL2) containing 1.5% OEO. Additionally, FL2 was found to be relatively better than the other samples in terms of swelling degree (SD), thickness, water solubility (WS), oxygen permeability (OP), water vapor permeability (WVP), moisture content (MC), and transparency (T). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Characterization of Edible Films)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop