<p>Fenugreek seed gum (FSG) is a valuable biopolymer which can be extracted from the by-products of oil industry, and offers considerable potential for the fabrication of biodegradable packaging material. In this study, film-forming solution was developed using different concentrations of FSG (0.5–2.5% w/v) and glycerol (30% w/w). Notably, the solutions containing &gt; 1% gum concentration displayed antimicrobial activities against <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. Rheological characterization was further conducted to verify the shear-thinning behavior which, therefore, validated the efficient spreading and uniform film formation during the casting procedure. The solvent-casting was then done to fabricate the films which were evaluated for their physicochemical, mechanical, barrier, and biodegradation properties. Mechanical strength was observed to increase with concentration of gum, and the study of various parameters concerning the barrier and moisture indicated the hydrophilic nature of polymer matrices. In addition, the visible shrinkage, as well as the evident structural breakdown of all the films (F₁-F₅) could be observed during the soil burial tests, as a confirmation of their biodegradability. In order to determine the practical applicability, the films were used for packaging of fresh Java plums. The fruits stored in FSG-based films showed less surface deterioration and no visible microbial growth, when compared to unpackaged and those packed in polyethylene plastic material. Conversely, growth of microbes was prominent in commercial plastic packaging (F_p) because of fogging and condensation. Accordingly, the research study suggests that FSG can be successfully utilized for development of biodegradable films with suitable functional characteristics, demonstrating its potential to substitute the conventional synthetic packaging material.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>