Graphene oxide and moringa oleifera seed oil incorporated into gelatin-based films: A novel active food packaging material

The extensive use of polymeric materials in single-use packaging has driven the need to develop biodegradable alternatives. This study investigates the incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) and Moringa oleifera seed oil (MOSO) into a gelatin matrix to create polymer films and evaluate their potential...

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Autores:
Cardona Lunar, María Fernanda
Ordoñez, Ramón
Fonseca Florido, Heidi
Hernández Fernández, Joaquín
Ortega Toro, Rodrigo
Tipo de recurso:
Article of investigation
Fecha de publicación:
2025
Institución:
Corporación Universidad de la Costa
Repositorio:
REDICUC - Repositorio CUC
Idioma:
eng
OAI Identifier:
oai:repositorio.cuc.edu.co:11323/14165
Acceso en línea:
https://hdl.handle.net/11323/14165
https://repositorio.cuc.edu.co/
Palabra clave:
Biodegradable packaging
Food packaging applications
Graphene oxide
Mechanical properties
Moringa oleifera seed oil
Thermal stability
Vapor resistance
Water
Rights
openAccess
License
Atribución 4.0 Internacional (CC BY 4.0)
Description
Summary:The extensive use of polymeric materials in single-use packaging has driven the need to develop biodegradable alternatives. This study investigates the incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) and Moringa oleifera seed oil (MOSO) into a gelatin matrix to create polymer films and evaluate their potential as active packaging materials. The properties of these films were evaluated using structural, thermal, mechanical, optical, and physicochemical methods to determine their suitability for food packaging applications. The results showed that GO and MOSO were homogeneously dispersed in the gelatin matrix, forming colloidal particles (around 5 μm in diameter). The addition of GO increased opacity by approximately 20 times the base value while MOSO affected light transmittance without impacting opacity. Mechanical properties were affected differently, GO acted as a crosslinking agent reducing elongation and increasing tensile strength at break, on the other hand MOSO acted as a plasticizer, making films more plastic increasing elongation a 30%. These effects counteracted each other, and similar behavior was recorded in differential scanning calorimetry. The films exhibited an improved water vapor resistance, which is crucial for food packaging. These findings indicate that the incorporation of GO and MOSO into a gelatin matrix may produce biodegradable polymer films with enhanced properties, suitable for active packaging in the food industry.