Chitosan cellulose acetate phthalate based biopolymeric films for food packaging and wound healing applications

Abstract

Polymers have become integral to the daily lives and technological advancement. Synthetic polymers offer various advantages that make them suitable for multiple applications in the field of packaging, drug delivery, biomedical and cosmetics. Among the various fields, food packaging and biomedical applications mostly employ petrochemical based polymers. However, most of these polymers are known to cause environmental implications and serious damages to human health. Hence, the current development in the field of polymers has more focus on the utilisation of biopolymers and biodegradable polymers. Biopolymers are generally defined as polymers, which are derived from natural renewable resources. Polysaccharides and proteins are the major types which are derived from plant and animal sources. Among the different types, polysaccharide-based biopolymers are frequently used in food packaging and biomedical applications, due to their availability, biodegradability and non-toxicity. Film-forming biopolymers possessing antimicrobial activity and biodegradability are of great interest on account of their potential use in food packaging and biomedical applications. Among the various biopolymers, chitosan (CS) has been known to be an ideal candidate for food packaging and wound dressing applications, because of its film forming ability, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Solvent casting method is one of the easiest methods for the preparation of these bio polymeric films. Cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) is another hydrophilic, biodegradable and environmentally benign material that has a widespread use in pharmaceutical applications as a coating agent for tablets and capsules. The present study deals with the fabrication of biodegradable and antimicrobial films for food packaging and wound dressing applications. Chitosan and cellulose acetate phthalate were chosen as blending materials for the fabrication of films. Nano ZnO and functionalized nano clay were taken as reinforcements for the preparation of nano composite fi