Waste-valorized litchi shell extract and calcium carbonate as dual reinforcement in chitosan films for active, uv-shielding food packaging

Information from the abstract

Petroleum-based plastics dominate food packaging and are a major contributor to global plastic waste, motivating biodegradable alternatives that valorize agro-processing residues. This study fabricated multifunctional chitosan (CS) films by solvent casting, reinforced simultaneously with calcium carbonate (CC) and an ethanolic extract of litchi shell (LE, 5–15% v/v), a high-volume pericarp residue rather than a cultivated botanical to combine mechanical reinforcement, UV-shielding, and antioxidant activity in a single, fully bio-derived matrix. Incorporating CC and LE increased tensile strength 4.4-fold, from 2.45 MPa (neat CS) to 10.85 MPa (CS/CC/LE15), while elongation at break decreased from 26.75% to 12.11%. Water vapor permeability fell by 61%, from 2.85 to 1.12 g·mm/m²·day·kPa, and UV transmittance at 280 nm dropped from 17.53% to 0.00% in CS/CC/LE15. DPPH radical-scavenging activity rose from 3.30% (neat CS) to 88% (CS/CC/LE15). FTIR, XRD, and FESEM analyses indicated that these improvements arise from hydrogen-bonding and electrostatic interactions among CS, CC, and LE rather than covalent crosslinking. These combined gains exceed those reported for previously published chitosan/CC systems using cultivated plant extracts, positioning CS/CC/LE films as a promising, sustainable candidate for packaging oxygen- and light-sensitive foods, warranting further validation of migration safety and real-food performance.

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Related topics: Nanocomposite Films for Food Packaging · Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites · Advanced Cellulose Research Studies