# Effect of Polyol Plasticizers on the Physicochemical, Mechanical, and Microstructural Properties of Films from Chayote (Sechium edule) Peels

## TL;DR

This study explores using chayote peels to create biopolymer films for food packaging, testing the effects of different plasticizers on their properties.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in evaluating chayote peel-based films with various polyol plasticizers for sustainable food packaging.

## Key findings

- Films showed increased elongation with higher plasticizer concentrations.
- Water vapor permeability varied significantly among plasticizers.
- Films exhibited stable mechanical and thermal properties suitable for packaging.

## Abstract

This study aimed to develop biopolymer films (BFs) from
immature
chayote [Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.]
Quelite variety fruit peels using glycerol, sorbitol, and ethylene
glycol as plasticizers at three concentrations (0.05, 0.06, and 0.07
mol/L) using the casting method. The BFs were evaluated at two time
points (day 1 and day 30 after casting) to assess their performance,
stability, and potential food packaging applications. They were homogeneous,
continuous, and exhibited colors ranging from cream to light brown,
and had an average thickness of 198 μm. The average solubilities
in water, acid, and base were 49.57%, 48.51%, and 65.15%, respectively,
while the average moisture content across all treatments was 25.52%.
The percentage of elongation increased from 4.8% to 6.8% with higher
plasticizer concentrations. No significant effects of plasticizer
type, concentration, or storage time were observed on tensile strength,
with average values of 0.22 MPa. Water vapor permeability (WVP) ranged
from 0.72 to 16.07 g·Pa–1·s–1·m–2·10–7, with significant
differences among plasticizers. The films displayed a glass transition
temperature of 63.29 °C and a melting temperature of 154.26 °C,
indicating a homogeneous and stable matrix. These findings highlight
the potential of chayote peel-based BFs as sustainable materials for
food packaging applications.