Elaboração e caracterização de filmes de amido e polpa de acerola por casting, extrusão termoplástica e termoprensagem

Abstract

Due to the environmental impact generated by the continued use of inert material derived exclusively from petroleum, there was an increase in research aimed at developing of films for packaging based on biopolymers, because they are degraded in composting conditions, not harm the environment. Films produced by biopolymer based perform support nutrients functions, preservation of bioactive, improved nutritional and sensory food characteristics of bringing with their quality and shelf life. In this context, the polysaccharides as an alternative because they are able to form solid polymeric matrices. The objective of this study was to develop and characterize flexible biodegradable films from natural polymers from renewable sources (starch), incorporated acerola pulp and clove essential oil (OEC) as antioxidant additives, antimicrobials, sources of vitamin C and carotenoids, prepared by casting process, aiming the choice of the best formulation for production of bioplastics by extrusion and pressing process. The filmogenic solutions were prepared at fixed concentrations of cassava starch (4%), acerola pulp (34.54%) and varying concentrations of glycerol (30; 22,5; 15; 7,5 and 0%) and OEC (0; 7,5, 15, 22,5 and 30%). One step of this study was to evaluate the bacteriostatic ability of the OEC and composite films with him against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus of Gram-positive group and Salmonella tiphymurium of the Gram-negative group, and the fungus Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus flavus. All formed films were visually transparent and homogeneous. The substitution of glycerol for OEC caused no statistically significant difference in the properties of thickness, water activity (AW) and to water vapor permeability (WVP). The reduced glycerol content, proportional to the increase in concentration of OEC, increased total solids, vitamin C, carotenoids, β-carotene and antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS and the reduction of the moisture content. The reduction of the glycerol content until 15% favored increased stress and strain at tensile and puncture and young modulus, after this limit has shown a drastic reduction in these properties. The desirability function used in the optimization process for selecting the best film produced by casting, to reproduce by extrusion and pressing. The extruded and compressed bioplastic obtained under the same conditions (starch concentration, pulp, glycerol and OEC) that formed by casting, was flexible, visually homogeneous and showed lower values for total solids, tensile deformation, puncture force, vitamin C, carotenoids and β-carotene contents, and higher values in moisture and antioxidant activity by DPPH. Losses of bioactive were analyzed between each step of the casting process and extrusion, separately. Therefore, the incorporation of pulp acerola and clove essential oil in cassava starch biofilms gave a pronounced protective effect of the bioactive, altering the physical, chemical and mechanical properties.