title: Biodegradability and plasticizing effect of yerba mate extract on cassava starch edible films.
abstract: Biodegradable and edible cassava starch-glycerol based films with different concentrations of yerba mate extract (0, 5 and 20wt.%) were prepared by casting. The plasticizing effect of yerba mate extract when it was incorporated into the matrix as an antioxidant was investigated. Thermal degradation and biodegradability of the obtained biofilms were also studied. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), water absorbance, stability in different solutions and biodegradability studies were performed. The clear correlation among the results obtained from the different analysis confirmed the plasticizing effect of yerba mate extract on the starch-glycerol matrix. Also, the extract led to a decrease in the degradation time of the films in soil ensuring their complete biodegradability before two weeks and to films stability in acidic and alkaline media. The plasticizing effect of yerba mate extract makes it an attractive additive for starch films which will be used as packaging or coating; and its contribution to an earlier biodegradability will contribute to waste reduction.
authors.affiliation: LPMC, Dep. Física, IFIBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria (1428), Pab. 1, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Tecnología en Polímeros y Nanotecnología ITPN, UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Las Heras 2214 (1127), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: caromedina1986@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Medina Jaramillo
authors.affiliation: Departamento Químico Analítico, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apartado 40109, Caracas 1040-A, Venezuela; Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apartado 47097, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela. Electronic address: tomy.gutierrez@ciens.ucv.ve.
authors.forename: Tomy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.affiliation: LPMC, Dep. Física, IFIBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria (1428), Pab. 1, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: goyanes@df.uba.ar.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goyanes
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Tecnología en Polímeros y Nanotecnología ITPN, UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Las Heras 2214 (1127), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: cbernal@fi.uba.ar.
authors.forename: Celina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.affiliation: LPMC, Dep. Física, IFIBA-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria (1428), Pab. 1, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: lfama@df.uba.ar.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Famá
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018857:Food Packaging; D030019:Ilex paraguariensis; D002365:Manihot; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010968:Plasticizers; D012987:Soil; D013213:Starch
keywords: Biodegradable edible films; Cassava starch; Plasticizing effect; Thermal degradation and biodegradability; yerba mate extract