Development of shrimp-based chitosan film and assessment of its mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties

Abstract

You Utilization of biodegradable films is a need of food packaging industries in order to reduce the hazards related to plastic use and to extend the food’s shelf life. Various polysaccharides are in use for the purpose of making the films. In this research, chitosan based films were developed and its mechanical, barrier and antimicrobial properties were checked to fulfill the packaging requirements. Chitosan was extracted from shrimp waste and films were produced using 0.5-2 per cent concentrations. At ambient temperature, specific characteristics such as mechanical, barrier, and antimicrobial analysis were performed at an interval of two days. Among all, the films with 2 per cent chitosan showed best results in terms of tensile strength, thickness and percent elongation. Also, the films exhibited maximum resistance to water vapor permeability. The extracted chitosan at 2 per cent concentration had shown the maximum resistance against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From the current investigation it can be said that films with 2 per cent chitosan could be used as biodegradable food packing materials and can serve as material which would maintain a good city and future of world by minimizing plastic hazards..