Biodegradable Anti-Ultraviolet Film from Modified Gallic Acid Cross-linked Gelatin

Abstract

The use of leather production waste to prepare degradable films is a sustainable production concept that can improve resource utilization and reduce the environmental pollution caused by traditional packaging waste. In this study, a biodegradable anti-ultraviolet film was prepared using gelatin obtained from tanning waste as the raw material and modified gallic acid as a cross-linking agent. The aldehyde group in the modified gallic acid reacts with the amino group in the gelatin molecule to form a stable covalent bond, which increases the cross-linking degree of the gelatin film. Compared with the conventional gelatin film, the modified gallic acid cross-linked gelatin film exhibited stronger tensile strength (6.357 MPa) and higher elongation at break (155.11%). The anti-ultraviolet capability of the film significantly increased as the conjugation system was enhanced owing to the formation of a Schiff base structure between the modified gallic acid and gelatin molecule, with strong UV absorption (T < 1%) in the range of 200–458 nm. The modified gallic acid cross-linked gelatin films also showed good antioxidant and antibacterial properties and excellent biodegradability, indicating its application potential in the packaging field.

Active and Robust Composite Films Based on Gelatin and Gallic Acid Integrated with Microfibrillated Cellulose

“…Gelatin is a well-known protein source for antioxidant hydrolysates [53] due to the presence of phenolic amino acids. According to the work reported by Guo et al, the neat gelatin film had weak DPPH free radical scavenging capacity [6], which was similar to the present DPPH free radical scavenging activity of GF. Moreover, it can be observed that the introduction of MFC showed no impact on the DPPH free radical scavenging capacity of GBFs.…”

“…At 280 nm, all the GBFs presented a negligible transmittance value (Table 1). With the addition of GA, the resistance to UV light transmission of GBFs in the UV region 280-316 nm was further improved due to the aromatic ring structure with anti-ultraviolet properties [6]. The addition of MFC showed no negative impact on the UV light absorption function of GBFs.…”

“…However, gelatin has the inherent drawback of brittle nature (low strength and flexibility) owing to its low water resistance caused by its hydrophilicity [6,7]; thus, its wide application as a food packaging film material is limited. Given this, the modification of gelatin films (GFs) is essential for improving their application performance.…”

“…In general, a food packaging film must be robust enough to withstand possible mechanical damage during food processing, storage and distribution. However, it has been reported that it is not sufficient to meet the requirements of food packaging materials by only relying on the multipoint hydrogen bonds between polyphenols and gelatin to enhance the mechanical properties of GBFs [6]. Hence, it is essential to propose a new strategy to improve the mechanical properties of the GBFs incorporated with polyphenols.…”

High Barrier, Biodegradable Nanocomposite Films Based on Clay‐Coated and Chemically Modified Gum Kondagogu

“…[5] As a result, researchers are looking for a bio-sourced, biodegradable material that can replace traditional plastics in single-use applications. [6][7][8][9] Bio-sourced polysaccharides, which are one of the most available raw materials in nature, have sparked a lot of interest in replacing single-use plastics. Their abundant availability, combined with their biodegradability, nontoxicity, and biocompatibility, can solve the aforementioned issue.…”