Dados do Trabalho

Título

UVAIA RESIDUE EFFECT ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BIODEGRADABLE PECTIN FILM

Introdução

The peels of uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis), a commonly discarded agro-industrial residue, are rich in bioactive compounds and offer significant potential for producing sustainable materials. The aim was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of uvaia peel extract and the impact of adding sorbitol on the mechanical properties of biodegradable films.

Material e Métodos

To this end, five pectin-based film formulations were created: two with 5% (ESS5%) and 10% (ESS10%) of extract without the addition of sorbitol; two with 5% (ECS5%) and 10% (ECS10%) of extract with addition of sorbitol; and a control formulation without extract and sorbitol. The films were produced using the casting method with subsequent evaluation of their mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, deformation, and Young's modulus. The results were submitted to ANOVA, and the means to the Tukey test (p<0.05).

Resultados e Discussão

The results showed that adding the extract significantly influenced (p<0.05) the mechanical properties. ESS5% films showed an increase in tensile strength (9.13 ± 4.05 N) and deformation (1.91 ± 0.59%), suggesting an improvement in the flexibility and strength of the material compared to the control (5.42 ± 1.85 N for tensile strength and 1.43 ± 0.44% for deformation). On the other hand, the ESS10% formulation showed a reduction in tensile strength (2.72 ± 2.07 N), indicating that higher extract concentrations may adversely affect the structural integrity of the films. The addition of sorbitol (ECS5% and ECS10%) resulted in intermediate mechanical properties, highlighting sorbitol's role in modulating the films' flexibility and resistance.

Conclusão

These results suggest that the interaction between the extract components and the pectin matrix, with the presence of sorbitol, can influence the cross-linking network and, consequently, the mechanical properties. Therefore, using uvaia peel extracts in films shows significant potential for developing biodegradable packaging, with the ESS5% formulation standing out as the most promising in terms of mechanical properties.