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<p>The increasing interest in sustainable food packaging has increased the use of biodegradable polymers. Pectin, a natural polysaccharide with excellent film-forming ability, is considered a promising alternative to synthetic plastics but limited by poor functional properties. In this study, pectin films were structurally modified through the incorporation of nisin, a natural antimicrobial peptide, to enhance their functional properties for food packaging applications. Pectin/nisin biocomposite films containing various nisin concentrations (1–4 wt%) were prepared by a solution-casting method and systematically characterized. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a significant increase in crystallinity from 18% for pure pectin to 42% for the PN4 film (~ 133% increase), indicating improved molecular ordering. Porosity decreased from 38.3% to ~ 24–26%, resulting in a denser film structure. These structural changes led to a notable improvement in tensile strength from 22.4&#xa0;MPa to ~ 34&#xa0;MPa (~ 50% increase). Barrier properties were significantly enhanced, with oxygen transmission rate decreasing from 1850.97 to 641.43&#xa0;cc/m².day.atm (~ 65% reduction) and water vapour transmission rate reduced from 16.35 to ~ 8.5&#xa0;g/m².day (~ 48% reduction). Optical analysis indicated increased opacity and reduced transparency with increasing nisin content. In addition, the films exhibited effective antibacterial activity against <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, which intensified with increasing nisin concentration. Biodegradation studies confirmed that nisin incorporation slightly delayed degradation due to increased structural order. These results demonstrate that nisin acts not only as an antimicrobial agent but also as an efficient structural modifier. These findings highlight the potential of pectin/nisin films as sustainable and active materials for food packaging applications.</p>

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Structural modification of pectin films through nisin incorporation and its influence on functional properties for food packaging applications

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月18日

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  • Vishnuvarthanan Mayakrishnan

摘要

The increasing interest in sustainable food packaging has increased the use of biodegradable polymers. Pectin, a natural polysaccharide with excellent film-forming ability, is considered a promising alternative to synthetic plastics but limited by poor functional properties. In this study, pectin films were structurally modified through the incorporation of nisin, a natural antimicrobial peptide, to enhance their functional properties for food packaging applications. Pectin/nisin biocomposite films containing various nisin concentrations (1–4 wt%) were prepared by a solution-casting method and systematically characterized. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a significant increase in crystallinity from 18% for pure pectin to 42% for the PN4 film (~ 133% increase), indicating improved molecular ordering. Porosity decreased from 38.3% to ~ 24–26%, resulting in a denser film structure. These structural changes led to a notable improvement in tensile strength from 22.4 MPa to ~ 34 MPa (~ 50% increase). Barrier properties were significantly enhanced, with oxygen transmission rate decreasing from 1850.97 to 641.43 cc/m².day.atm (~ 65% reduction) and water vapour transmission rate reduced from 16.35 to ~ 8.5 g/m².day (~ 48% reduction). Optical analysis indicated increased opacity and reduced transparency with increasing nisin content. In addition, the films exhibited effective antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which intensified with increasing nisin concentration. Biodegradation studies confirmed that nisin incorporation slightly delayed degradation due to increased structural order. These results demonstrate that nisin acts not only as an antimicrobial agent but also as an efficient structural modifier. These findings highlight the potential of pectin/nisin films as sustainable and active materials for food packaging applications.