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Polymers
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Nano-Enhanced Biodegradable Polymers for Sustainable Food Packaging
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Nano-Enhanced Biodegradable Polymers for Sustainable Food Packaging

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 September 2025) | Viewed by 2114

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Aris Giannakas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Patras, 30100 Agrinio, Greece
Interests: chemical technology; nanostructures in food technology; polymers and biopolymers composites and nanocomposites; biopolymers hydrogels; bioactive nanostructures; nanomaterials; microemulsions; nanoemulsions; active packaging; control release; food processing and preservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, nanotechnology and sustainability are concepts globally affecting research and technological advancement. In the field of food packaging, research on nanotechnology has led to the use of nanomaterials and nanoparticles being proposed, such as metal oxides, nanoclays, nano-zeolites, and carbon-based nanomaterials, as both polymer reinforcements and antioxidant/antibacterial agents. Further, increasing interest in sustainability has been the precursor to novel strategies in food packaging, including the following: replacing (i) synthetic chemical additives with natural antioxidant/antibacterial agents, such as natural extracts and essential oils derived by food byproducts, and (ii) of polymers derived from fossil fuels with biobased and biodegradable polymers, such as poly-lactide acid, chitosan, gelatin, starch, and cellulose. This Special Issue aims to showcase recent innovations in nano-enhanced biodegradable polymers for sustainable food packaging through high-quality research papers.

Dr. Aris Giannakas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food packaging
  • biodegradable polymers
  • bio-based polymers
  • nanotechnology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2345 KB  
Article
Bio-Based Alginate Films Incorporating Bacterial Nanocellulose and Grape Seed Extract for Enhanced Food Packaging
by Urška Vrabič-Brodnjak and Tina Ružič
Polymers 2025, 17(19), 2564; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17192564 - 23 Sep 2025
Viewed by 183
Abstract
The development of sustainable, active food packaging materials is essential for reducing plastic waste and improving food preservation. This study investigated the fabrication and characterization of bio-based films composed of sodium alginate (Na-alginate), bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), and grape seed extract (GSE) as a [...] Read more.
The development of sustainable, active food packaging materials is essential for reducing plastic waste and improving food preservation. This study investigated the fabrication and characterization of bio-based films composed of sodium alginate (Na-alginate), bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), and grape seed extract (GSE) as a natural antioxidant. Films were prepared via casting solutions with 2% Na-alginate, 1% and 2% of BNC, glycerol as a plasticizer, and varying GSE concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, and 2% w/w). The films’ physicochemical properties, including thickness, mechanical strength, water vapor permeability, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity (DPPH assay), were evaluated. To assess practical applicability, blueberries were packaged in these films and stored at 4 °C for four weeks, with spoilage, weight loss, and visual quality monitored. The results demonstrated that GSE significantly enhanced the films’ antioxidant capacity, with 1% GSE achieving an optimal balance between mechanical integrity and bioactivity. Blueberries packaged in GSE-enriched films exhibited lower spoilage, reduced weight loss, and maintained better visual appearance compared to controls. These findings suggest that Na-alginate/BNC/GSE films possess potential as biodegradable active packaging materials for extending the shelf life of perishable fruits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enhanced Biodegradable Polymers for Sustainable Food Packaging)
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25 pages, 4878 KB  
Article
Eugenol@Montmorillonite vs. Citral@Montmorillonite Nanohybrids for Gelatin-Based Extruded, Edible, High Oxygen Barrier, Active Packaging Films
by Achilleas Kechagias, Areti A. Leontiou, Yelyzaveta K. Oliinychenko, Alexandros Ch. Stratakos, Konstatninos Zaharioudakis, Charalampos Proestos, Emmanuel P. Giannelis, Nikolaos Chalmpes, Constantinos E. Salmas and Aris E. Giannakas
Polymers 2025, 17(11), 1518; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17111518 - 29 May 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1693
Abstract
In the context of the circular economy, the valorization of bio-derived waste has become a priority across various production sectors, including food processing and packaging. Gelatin (Gel), a protein which can be recovered from meat industry byproducts, offers a sustainable solution in this [...] Read more.
In the context of the circular economy, the valorization of bio-derived waste has become a priority across various production sectors, including food processing and packaging. Gelatin (Gel), a protein which can be recovered from meat industry byproducts, offers a sustainable solution in this regard. In this study, pork-derived gelatin was used to develop novel edible active packaging films, designed for meat products. Glycerol (Gl) was used as a plasticizer. Two types of montmorillonite-based nanohybrids were employed as both reinforcing agents and carriers of antioxidant/antibacterial compounds: eugenol-functionalized montmorillonite (EG@Mt) and citral-functionalized montmorillonite (CT@Mt). The active films were formulated as Gel/Gl/xEG@Mt and Gel/Gl/xCT@Mt, where x = 5, 10, or 15 wt.%. Controlled-release kinetics showed that EG@Mt released up to 95% of its adsorbed eugenol, whereas CT@Mt released up to 55% of its adsorbed citral. The films were evaluated using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay and tested for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Results demonstrated that the Gel/Gl/xEG@Mt films exhibited superior antioxidant and antibacterial performance compared to the Gel/Gl/xCT@Mt films. All formulations were impermeable to oxygen. Although the incorporation of EG and CT slightly reduced cell viability, values remained above 80%, indicating non-toxicity. In conclusion, the film containing 15 wt.% EG@Mt achieved an oxygen transmission rate of zero, an effective concentration (EC60) of 9.9 mg/L to reach 60% antioxidant activity, and reduced E. coli and L. monocytogenes populations by at least 5.8 log CFU/mL (p < 0.05), bringing them below the detection limit. Moreover, it successfully extended the shelf life of fresh minced pork by two days. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-Enhanced Biodegradable Polymers for Sustainable Food Packaging)
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