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High-barrier and antioxidant lignin-reinforced starch nanofiber films for fruit preservation
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Scientists created a food wrapping film from plant materials (starch and ligno, a woody plant compound) instead of plastic, and it kept cherry tomatoes fresh 50% longer than regular packaging. The film blocks moisture and oxygen, fights bacteria, and has antioxidant properties, all while offering a biodegradable alternative to plastic packaging, which sheds microplastics into our food and environment as it breaks down. This research is still early-stage, but it points toward packaging that protects both your produce and your health.
Although conventional plastic packaging films offer practical benefits, their production contributes to fossil resource depletion and environmental pollution. In this study, formic acid facilitated the homogeneous dispersion of lignin and starch by protonating their polar functional groups. During electrospinning, rapid solvent evaporation induced the reformation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions, resulting in a robust nanofibrous network. The synergistic interplay between the rigid aromatic structure of lignin and the chain entanglement capability of starch significantly enhanced the structural integrity and mechanical stability of the fibers. The resulting lignin-starch nanofiber films (LSNFs) function as multifunctional preservation materials with gas barrier, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. The LSNFs exhibited a tensile strength of 13.55 MPa and a Young's modulus of 187.11 MPa. In addition, water vapor permeability and oxygen transmission rate decreased by 28.59% and 9.91%, respectively. The films also showed strong antioxidant capacity (89.53% DPPH scavenging), significant antibacterial activity, and hydrophobicity (water contact angle of 132.5°). Preservation tests demonstrated that LSNFs extended the shelf life of cherry tomatoes to 1.5 times that of the control, indicating their potential as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic packaging.
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Hydrophobic modified starch reinforced chitosan/lignosulfonate composite film for cherry tomatoes preservation
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Researchers created a biodegradable packaging film from chitosan, lignosulfonate and modified starch as an alternative to plastic. Lab tests showed the film repelled water, blocked oxygen and UV light, and kept cherry tomatoes fresh over a 10-day storage test.
Green preparation of nanocellulose/H2O2-modified lignin composite films and their antibacterial, flame-retardant, and food preservation properties
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Scientists created a new food packaging film made from plant fibers and treated wood waste (lignin) instead of petroleum-based plastic. In tests, it kept cherry tomatoes fresh for 15 days, blocked UV rays, resisted fire, killed over 99.99% of bacteria, and broke down almost completely in soil within two months. This matters because it points toward packaging that could reduce our reliance on plastics linked to microplastic pollution, while also keeping food safer and fresher for longer.
Sustainable lignin-curcumin functionalized PVA films crosslinked with citric acid for cherry tomato preservation.
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Researchers reinforced polyvinyl alcohol films with alkali lignin extracted from sugarcane agricultural residue, crosslinked with food-grade sodium trimetaphosphate, and functionalized with curcumin, producing biodegradable packaging with 89% radical scavenging activity, UV shielding, and antimicrobial properties that meaningfully extended cherry tomato shelf life at ambient temperature.
Polysaccharide/protein based composite systems for strawberry preservation: Bio-based materials, enhanced functionality, and quality maintenance
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This review looks at new plant-based packaging films, made from things like starch and proteins, that could replace traditional plastic wrap for strawberries. These bio-based materials keep berries fresh longer while potentially avoiding microplastic contamination that can seep into fruit through its skin, though cost and safety testing still need work before store shelves.
Citric-acid-crosslinked starch/polyvinyl alcohol composite films reinforced with sodium lignosulfonate for sustainable packaging applications
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Researchers developed starch/PVA composite films crosslinked with citric acid and reinforced with sodium lignosulfonate, finding that the aromatic lignin component simultaneously enhanced mechanical stiffness, cut water vapor transmission, blocked nearly all UV light, and raised antioxidant activity to 90% — combining multiple packaging functions in a single biodegradable film.
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