Influence of Different Deep Eutectic Solvents and Plant Extracts on Antioxidant, Mechanical, and Color Properties of Alginate Film

TL;DR

This study explores how different plant extracts and solvents affect the properties of eco-friendly alginate films for food packaging.

Contribution

The novel use of deep eutectic solvents to extract active compounds from plant materials for functional packaging films.

Findings

Alginate films with lemon balm extract showed higher antioxidant capacity than those with chokeberry pomace.

Mechanical properties of the films were primarily influenced by the type of deep eutectic solvent used.

Color properties of the films depended on both the plant extract and the solvent type.

Abstract

Eco-friendly functional alginate films with plant extracts (chokeberry pomace (ChP) or lemon balm (LB) herb) were obtained. Moreover, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on choline chloride, glucose, and betaine were used to acquire the active substances from plant materials. The films were tested regarding the antioxidant, mechanical, and color properties. The results revealed that the films’ antioxidant capacities (AC) depended on the extract type and DES used, namely AC values for alginate films with LB were higher than those with ChP. Moreover, the results of the films’ mechanical properties depended only on the DES, which acted as a plasticizer in most cases. Furthermore, the color analysis of the studied films showed a dependence on the type of extract and DES. The lightness (L*) was influenced only by the DES type, while the solvent and extract type affected the a* and b* values. Our results show that the films can be applied as active packaging for food products.

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