Upcycling Tomato Harvest and Processing Residues into Polyphenol-Enriched Cellulosic Films with Tunable Antioxidant and UV-Blocking Properties
Sarmad Ahmad Qamar, Simona Piccolella, Raffaele Raimondo, Severina Pacifico
TL;DR
This paper shows how tomato waste can be turned into eco-friendly packaging materials with antioxidant and UV-blocking properties.
Contribution
A novel method to upcycle tomato by-products into functional cellulosic films with tunable properties.
Findings
TPPf enrichment improved mechanical strength and UV-blocking efficiency of the films.
Films showed notable antioxidant activity and biodegradability, suitable for food packaging.
Combining tomato residues offers a sustainable strategy for circular bioeconomy.
Abstract
The development of bio-based functional materials through the upcycling of agri-food residues represents a sustainable strategy to reduce environmental impact and promote circular economy. This study achieved valorization by combining two tomato by-products: peels exhausted after supercritical fluid extraction and harvest residues mainly composed of stems and field wastes. Polyphenol-rich extract (TPPf) was obtained from peels through ultrasound-assisted maceration and solid-phase extraction, while cellulose from tomato harvest residues (THRs) was converted into carboxymethyl cellulose (THR-CMC, degree of substitution 0.76), as confirmed by structural analyses. Functional bioplastic films were prepared by solvent casting THR-CMC, plasticized with glycerol, and enriched with different TPPf concentrations (0–100 mg/100 mL). Increasing TPPf content enhanced mechanical strength and…
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Taxonomy
TopicsNanocomposite Films for Food Packaging · Polymer Foaming and Composites · Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites