Polysaccharide-Based Films: Carriers of Active Substances and Controlled Release Characteristics

Currently, food packaging sector is generating massive waste streams into freshwater reservoirs and terrestrial plains around the globe. In this regard, gigantic pileup of synthetic plastics originating from polymeric food packaging materials is a matter of concern due to serious implications and threats to the ecosystem. This fosters the keen interest of researchers for developing packaging films and coatings from bio-based materials like polysaccharides exhibiting biodegradability. Bio-based packaging materials should exhibit following peculiar properties to be employed for this purpose, such as abundance, renewability, and cost-effectiveness. This chapter gives an account of the recent advances with regard to polysaccharide-based films as carriers of active substances and their controlled release characteristics. Development of bio-based packaging materials involves usage of biodegradable polysaccharides of various types, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, xylans, glucomannans, β-glucan, chitin, starches, and alginates. These polysaccharides exhibit appreciable barrier properties against transport of gaseous materials like carbon dioxide and oxygen. Mechanical strength and barrier properties vary for each polysaccharide material. However, desirability of mechanical and barrier properties as well as sensitivity to moisture is required to enhance the integrity of foodstuffs packed using polysaccharide-based packaging coating and films. However, continuous efforts are being made by researchers worldwide for improvement of starch film barrier and mechanical properties by synergistic combination of polysaccharides with those of linkers, cross-linking additives, and improvers.