Starch-based biodegradable films amended with nano-starch and tannic acid-coated nano-starch exhibit enhanced mechanical and functional attributes with antimicrobial activity.

ABSTRACT

Starch-based biofilms are biodegradable, but their application is limited by lower mechanical strength and absence of antimicrobial properties. In this context, the present study attempted to unleash the potential of nanotechnology for synthesizing nano-starch (NS) and tannic acid-coated nano-starch (T-NS) for augmenting the tensile strength and antimicrobial properties of starch-based biofilms. Moreover, this study reports one of the first such attempts to improve the commercial viability of starch extracted from the corms of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius. In this study, NS and T-NS samples were first synthesized by the physical and chemical modification of the native starch (S) molecules. The NS and T-NS samples showed significantly smaller granule size, lower moisture content, and swelling power. Further, amendments with NS and T-NS samples (25 % and 50 %) to the native starch molecules were performed to obtain biofilm samples. The NSB (NS amended) and T-NSB (T-NS amended) biofilms showed comparatively higher tensile strength than SB films (100 % starch-based). The T-NSB showed greater antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. All the biofilms showed almost complete biodegradation in soil (in 10 days). Therefore, it can be concluded that additives like NS and T-NS can improve starch-based biofilms' mechanical strength and antimicrobial properties with considerable biodegradability.