Advances in pullulan utilization for sustainable applications in food packaging and preservation: A mini-review

All-Biomass-Derived Nanocomposite Films of Pullulan/Lactate-Nanocellulose/Hydrophobic Lignin for Eco-friendly and Practical Plastic Food-Packaging Alternatives

“…11,12 Among polysaccharides, pullulan has been investigated as a promising candidate for food packaging because of certain attributes including its ability to form films, oxygen impermeability, heat-sealing capability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties. 13,14 However, pullulan possesses intrinsic limitations that limit its applications as a food-packaging material: (i) pure pullulan films or coatings lack the mechanical strength required of packaging materials; 15 (ii) its pronounced hydrophilicity renders it moisture-sensitive, potentially leading to substantial variability in its mechanical and barrier properties due to water absorption or desorption. 16,17 Nanocellulose (NC) has been shown to enhance the mechanical strength of NC/polymer bionanocomposite films, 18 which can be attributed to its high Young's modulus (70−130 GPa), molecular interlacing, and formation of supplementary hydrogen bonding interactions between NC and polymer matrices.…”

“…Several factors must be considered when developing food-packaging materials. These include the materials’ mechanical strength, effective prevention against gas/moisture/aroma leakage, stability, and user-/eco-friendliness. , Recently, polysaccharides have emerged as sustainable biopolymers with potential for developing bioplastics and innovative food-packaging materials. , Among polysaccharides, pullulan has been investigated as a promising candidate for food packaging because of certain attributes including its ability to form films, oxygen impermeability, heat-sealing capability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties. , However, pullulan possesses intrinsic limitations that limit its applications as a food-packaging material: (i) pure pullulan films or coatings lack the mechanical strength required of packaging materials; (ii) its pronounced hydrophilicity renders it moisture-sensitive, potentially leading to substantial variability in its mechanical and barrier properties due to water absorption or desorption. , …”

Fabrication of novel gallic acid functionalized chitosan/pullulan active bio-films for the preservation and shelf-life extension of green chillies

“…In addition, it has good lm forming capacity, high transparency, exibility, and degradability and has good microbial resistant capacity, which makes it a suitable candidate for the development of active food packaging lms. 19 Development of food packaging systems with the incorporation of natural polyphenols like citric acid, dextran, ascorbic acid and GA has been explored to improve the multifunctional properties of the food packaging lms. [20][21][22] Further, the use of additives like green deep eutectic solvents (DES) in the development of CS based lms has shown improved solubility, tensile stability and exibility.…”

“…In addition, it has good film forming capacity, high transparency, flexibility, and degradability and has good microbial resistant capacity, which makes it a suitable candidate for the development of active food packaging films. 19…”

3D-Printed Pectin/Carboxymethyl Cellulose/ZnO Bio-Inks: Comparative Analysis with the Solution Casting Method

“…In addition to being environmentally friendly, biopolymers have enormous promise for delivering functional ingredients and regulating their release, opening the door to the fabrication of active packaging [ 2 ]. Additionally, biopolymers are crucial for various advanced applications such as biomedical engineering due to their controlled-release property, non-toxicity, hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability [ 3 ]. Despite a tremendous development in biopolymer-related materials and technologies on the lab scale, very few commercial products are available in the market.…”