Polysaccharides in Advanced Packaging: Active Coatings, Safe Additives, and Green Processing

Dear Colleagues,

Polysaccharides sit at the core of the transition toward safer, smarter, and more sustainable packaging. As abundant, renewable, and intrinsically biodegradable biopolymers, chitosan, cellulose (including nano- and microfibrils), starch, alginate, and pectin offer a rare combination of film-forming, barrier, and bioactive functionalities that petroleum-based matrices lack. Their rich chemistries—amine, hydroxyl, and carboxylate groups—enable mild, aqueous processing, facile crosslinking, and conjugation with natural antioxidants or antimicrobials, which is essential for active packaging that credibly extends shelf life while meeting migration limits and preserving sensory quality.

This Special Issue highlights polysaccharides as both structural materials and functional enablers across two complementary approaches. The first focuses on ultrathin polysaccharide surface coatings—including layer-by-layer assemblies and hybrid bilayers—that maximize specific contact area with foods and underlying films. Such systems can deliver antimicrobial and antioxidant functions while lowering gas and moisture permeability without compromising recyclability; water-borne, low-energy routes (polyelectrolyte assembly, phenolic complexation, plasma/UV activation) underscore green manufacturability. The second emphasizes polysaccharide-based fillers and additives—from nanocellulose to mineral–biopolymer hybrids—embedded in thermoplastic matrices (PLA, PHB/PHA, PP, PE, TPS). These formulations enhance mechanical strength, create tortuous-path barrier effects, and enable controlled release of active compounds. In these systems, thermal stability and interfacial compatibility are pivotal; polysaccharides can also act as green compatibilizers or carriers that localize active agents and reduce additive loadings.

By positioning polysaccharides as central components rather than ancillary modifiers, this Special Issue integrates materials science, green manufacturing, and safety assessment to deliver deployable packaging. We invite contributions that demonstrate shelf-life improvements in realistic food systems, clarify migration behavior and regulatory compliance, and advance circularity through compostability or recyclability, turning polysaccharide chemistry into practical, industry-ready performance.

More specifically, this Special Issue welcomes original research and reviews exploring the following:

• Modification and functionalization of polysaccharides for food packaging applications;
• Development of polysaccharide-based surface coatings (e.g., layer-by-layer assemblies, hybrid bilayers, and nanostructured films) with antimicrobial, antioxidant, or barrier functionalities;
• Incorporation of polysaccharide fillers and additives into polymer matrices (PLA, PE, PP, TPS) to improve mechanical strength, thermal stability, and gas or moisture barrier performance;
• Green processing and fabrication methods, including aqueous, solvent-free, or low-energy routes for polysaccharide–polymer composites;
• Interfacial engineering and compatibilization strategies between polysaccharides and synthetic or bio-based polymers;
• Evaluation of migration, food safety, and regulatory compliance of polysaccharide-containing packaging materials;
• Active and intelligent packaging systems based on natural polysaccharides and their derivatives for shelf-life extension and product monitoring;
• End-of-life solutions and circularity approaches, such as compostability, recyclability, or reuse pathways for polysaccharide-based packaging.

Prof. Dr. Lidija Fras Zemljič
Dr. Klementina Pušnik Črešnar
Guest Editors

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. Polysaccharides is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1200 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.