Impact of acid type for chitosan dissolution on the characteristics and biodegradability of cornstarch/chitosan based films.

Impact of acid type for chitosan dissolution on the characteristics and biodegradability of cornstarch/chitosan based films. Int J Biol Macromol. 2019 Jul 12;: Authors: Pavoni JMF, Luchese CL, Tessaro IC Abstract Biopolymers have received considerable attention in recent years given the environmental concern related to the incorrect disposal of materials based on synthetic plastics. Starch and chitosan are good examples of raw materials of interest, and its combination can exhibit some newsworthy barrier and mechanical properties. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the impact of the acid type, acetic and lactic solutions (1% v/v), used for chitosan solubilization and the starch:chitosan proportion on the properties of cornstarch/chitosan-based films. The films were prepared by casting and characterized by analyses of water vapor permeability, tensile strength, elongation, elastic modulus, antimicrobial activity, and biodegradability. Mechanical properties analyses showed that the films prepared by using acetic acid presented higher rigidity and lower deformation, giving higher values of Young's Modulus and a smaller percentage of elongation, in comparison to the films fabricated with lactic acid. Besides, starch/chitosan films containing acetic acid also exhibited better water vapor barrier properties, showing smaller water permeation values. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of the cornstarch-based films containing chitosan...
Source: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: Int J Biol Macromol Source Type: research