Dear Colleagues,

Petroleum-based plastics have found widespread application in the daily life. Their versatility, outstanding properties, such as high chemical resistance, elasticity and relatively low price, were the main cause of their success. However, although plastics are considered to be one of the greatest innovation ever, currently their wide use is regarded as a major threat of pollution of the environment because they are not easily degradable. More than 35 million of wastes deriving from different plastic items are produced each year in the world and only 7% of them are recycled, the remaining waste being deposited in the landfills or dispersed in the oceans. Increasing concerns about sustainability and consumer trends relating to environmentally-friendly products have spurred interest in alternatives to petroleum packaging such as edible biodegradable films. These films can replace petroleum packaging for standard packaging functions such as protecting food products from physical contamination, extending shelf-life, and controlling movement of substances such as water and gases. The use of proteins to prepare biodegradable packaging materials is an attractive recycling possibility of various agro-industrial byproducts. Different kinds of proteins might be used as component of the novel bioplastics. However, the main disadvantages of protein-based films are their low mechanical properties and high sensitivity to moisture that reduces the barrier properties of these materials.

Therefore, we invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles focused on the development strategies for rationally designing biocomposites based on proteins with the aim of improving protein-based film functional properties by blending with nanoparticles, polysaccharides, and different additives (plasticizers, enzymes).

Dr. Loredana Mariniello
Dr. C. Valeria L. Giosafatto
Guest Editors

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• Protein-based bioplastics
• Crosslinking of bioplastics
• Blended films
• Nanoparticles
• Bioactive films
• Film characterization