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Fucoidan as a Key Component in Edible Packaging Materials: A Comprehensive Review From Sustainable Production to Multifunctional Applications
Summary
This review pulls together 55 studies on fucoidan, a compound from brown seaweed, that can be turned into edible, plastic-free food packaging. Beyond helping cut down on plastic waste and microplastic pollution, these seaweed-based films have natural antioxidant and germ-fighting properties that helped keep fruits and meats fresher for longer in test settings. While it's not yet on grocery shelves, this research suggests seaweed packaging could one day replace some conventional plastics while also reducing food waste and our exposure to microplastics from packaging.
Plastic waste from food packaging threatens ecosystems as it accumulates and breaks down into microplastics. This "white pollution" crisis demands sustainable alternatives. Fucoidan, derived from brown algae, offers a promising solution. This marine-sourced biopolymer forms flexible, transparent films with functional properties comparable to those of conventional plastics, while its sulfate groups provide key antioxidant and antibacterial benefits. This review is based on a total of 55 highly relevant studies that focus on the preparation and performance evaluation of fucoidan-based films, with emphasis on the key functional roles of fucoidan in edible packaging materials. It analyzes and summarizes the preparation techniques of edible materials containing fucoidan, the improvements in material properties (including mechanical properties, barrier properties, and antioxidant properties) brought about by fucoidan, and the application cases of these materials. Fucoidan-based films are primarily fabricated through solution casting, ionic crosslinking, electrospinning, and layer-by-layer assembly. The incorporation of fucoidan markedly enhances the overall performance of composite films. It increases film thickness, UV-barrier capacity, mechanical strength, and thermal stability in most systems through electrostatic and hydrogen-bond interactions, and strengthens water-vapor barrier properties while reducing moisture content, water solubility, and surface hydrophilicity in crosslinked matrices. Most importantly, fucoidan confers potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral activities via its sulfate groups, enabling efficient radical scavenging and pH-responsive release. In practical applications, these multifunctional films have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in preserving highly perishable foods, including many fruits and meats. Fucoidan-based packaging is poised to emerge as a safe, intelligent, and truly sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.