Agar/Carboxymethyl cellulose blended films with green-synthesised silver nanoparticles as a sustainable alternative for food packaging applications

Mirpoor, S. F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9172-794X, Massironi, A., Winning, D., Lignou, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6971-2258, Khalil Ghawi, S. K., Trotta, F. and Charalampopoulos, D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1269-8402 (2025) Agar/Carboxymethyl cellulose blended films with green-synthesised silver nanoparticles as a sustainable alternative for food packaging applications. Polymers, 17 (23). 3126. ISSN 2073-4360 doi: 10.3390/polym17233126

Abstract/Summary

The shelf life of food can be affected by storage and transport conditions. The development of a biodegradable, eco-friendly active bioplastic for food packaging could delay food deterioration during these stages, while minimising the environmental impact of non-degradable conventional plastics. In this study, blended films of agar with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were integrated with different concentrations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) that were produced by a green synthesis method. The incorporation of silver nanoparticles into the blended films increased the stiffness of the film and improved the water vapour barrier and hydrophobicity. The thermal stability and the Fourier transform infrared spectra of the films were not affected by the different concentrations of AgNPs incorporated. The film microstructure was affected by the concentration of AgNPs and resulted in an increase in the film’s pore size. Films with the highest concentration of AgNPs showed antibacterial activity against foodborne pathogens, L. monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli, and provided the material with the highest UV protection and bio-disintegration in soil and simulated seawater environments compared to the other developed films. The developed agar/CMC blended films with improved physicochemical properties present a viable alternative to conventional plastics in active food packaging applications.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/127253
Identification Number/DOI	10.3390/polym17233126
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences > Food Research Group
Publisher	MDPI
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