Hydrophobic edible films made up of tomato cutin and pectin.
Cutin is the biopolyester that protects the extracellular layer of terrestrial plants against dehydration and environmental stresses. In this work, cutin was extracted from tomato processing waste and cast into edible films having pectin as a binding agent. The influences of cutin/pectin ratio (50/50 and 25/75), film-forming suspension pH, and casting method on phase dispersion, water resistance and affinity, and thermal and mechanical properties of films were investigated. Dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy revealed that cutin phase aggregation was reduced by simply increasing pH. The 50/50 films obtained by casting neutral-pH suspensions presented uniform cutin dispersion within the pectin matrix. Consequently, these films exhibited lower water uptake and solubility than their acidic counterparts. The cutin/pectin films developed here were shown to mimic tomato peel itself with respect to mechanical strength and thermal stability. Such behavior was found to be virtually independent of pH and casting method.
National Nanotechnology Laboratory for Agribusiness, Embrapa Instrumentation - Rua XV de Novembro, 1452, São Carlos, SP 13560-970, Brazil. Electronic address: anny.manrich@gmail.com.
Anny
A
Manrich
Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos - Rodovia Washington Luís, km 235, São Carlos, SP 13566-905, Brazil. Electronic address: moreira.fkv@gmail.com.
Francys K V
FK
Moreira
National Nanotechnology Laboratory for Agribusiness, Embrapa Instrumentation - Rua XV de Novembro, 1452, São Carlos, SP 13560-970, Brazil; Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos - Rodovia Washington Luís, km 235, São Carlos, SP 13566-905, Brazil. Electronic address: cgotoni@gmail.com.
Caio G
CG
Otoni
National Nanotechnology Laboratory for Agribusiness, Embrapa Instrumentation - Rua XV de Novembro, 1452, São Carlos, SP 13560-970, Brazil; PPGQ, Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos - Rodovia Washington Luís, km 235, São Carlos, SP 13566-905, Brazil. Electronic address: marcos.lorevice@gmail.com.
Marcos V
MV
Lorevice
National Nanotechnology Laboratory for Agribusiness, Embrapa Instrumentation - Rua XV de Novembro, 1452, São Carlos, SP 13560-970, Brazil. Electronic address: maria-alice.martins@embrapa.br.
Maria A
MA
Martins
National Nanotechnology Laboratory for Agribusiness, Embrapa Instrumentation - Rua XV de Novembro, 1452, São Carlos, SP 13560-970, Brazil. Electronic address: luiz.mattoso@embrapa.br.
Luiz H C
LH
Mattoso
D018857:Food Packaging; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D010368:Pectins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility
D008563:Membrane Lipids; C000521:cutin; D010368:Pectins
Bio-based packaging; Biopolymer; Edible film; Hydrophobicity; Water affinity; Water resistance