Biobased Food Packaging Materials: Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Petrochemical Packaging Materials: A Review

Plastics as a packaging material in the food industry is highly preferable, but due to environmental concerns and government legislation, there is a need to develop biobased biodegradable packaging materials. This review includes the sources of biopolymers, methods of productions, future and applications of biobased packaging materials in food packaging. As bioplastic materials have some limitations in terms of mechanical and barrier properties in comparison with synthetic plastics. These limitations can be overcome by using suitable fillers, nanocomposites and certain additives in bioplastics production. The development of bioplastic has a high potential to replace non-biodegradable plastic packaging. Biopolymer with synthetic polymers blends is also an emerging area of research. Bench casting and continuous casting are the popular methods for bioplastic production in the scientific community. According to the global production capacities of the bioplastics report, the present bioplastics production is only 2% of the production volume of the synthetic polymers, it will increase 4% until 2023. </jats:p

Mechanical and Functional Properties of Biodegradable Films Compounding from Low-density Poly Ethylene (LDPE), Modified Corn Starch (MCS)

Background: Plastics are well suited as a food packaging material due to their availability, processability, flexibility and seal strength. However, it has the inherent flaw of not being biodegradable. This research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of mechanical and functional properties of a biodegradable films made from a fusion of LDPE and modified corn starch (MCS). Methods: MCS was plasticized with glycerol and, urea and talc powder was added for film hardness. By employing a twin-screw extruder, the mix was allowed to compound before being blown into a thin film by a blown film extruder. Virgin LDPE (T0) and LDPE with MCS blends were made in the ratios of 95:5 (T1), 90:10 (T2), 85:15 (T3) and 80:20 (T4) for comparison. Result: As an outcome, as the starch content was increased the tensile strength decreased to 7.23 MPa from 14.55 MPa (T0). Similarly, the elongation at break also reduced to 264.35% from 370.9% (T0) while the elasticity modulus increased to 229.06 MPa from 172.15 MPa (T0). With the addition of MCS concentration, the thickness and water solubility increased significantly. In the temperature range of 85-155°C, the films demonstrated good sealing performance. The prepared films can be used for food packaging due to the aforementioned characteristics of the manufactured films. </jats:p

Exploring the Therapeutic and Nutritional Significance of Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) as a Feed Additive in Aquaculture

The exploration of medicinal plants as natural and benign compounds in aquaculture presents a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics and immune prophylactics. In the domain of aquaculture, these plants serve dual roles as both chemotherapeutics and feed additives. Many plants and their derivatives contain an array of bioactive compounds, such as phenolic, polyphenolic, alkaloid, quinone, terpenoid, lectin, and polypeptide compounds, showcasing their effectiveness as alternatives to antibiotics, chemicals, vaccines, and synthetic compounds. Extensive research highlights the positive impact of incorporating herbs into fish diets, contributing to enhanced growth and disease resistance. The incorporation of herbs and herbal products into fish diets not only proves cost-effective but also aligns with environmental sustainability, exhibiting minimal side effects on both fish and consumers. Plant extracts are recognized for their diverse benefits, including growth promotion, appetite stimulation, tonicity enhancement, immunostimulation, facilitation of cultured species maturation, and properties such as stress reduction, sexual stimulation, and antipathogenic effects in fish. This comprehensive review focuses on the significant role of bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) in aquaculture, serving as a growth promoter, immunostimulant, and antioxidant. Bay laurel emerges as a medicinal herbal plant, offering a viable alternative to antibiotics with a multifaceted impact on aquaculture production and development. The review delves into the mode of action through which bay laurel enhances various aspects of aquaculture, emphasizing its potential as a valuable asset in sustainable and health-conscious fish farming practices. By exploring the diverse bioactive compounds present in bay laurel, this review contributes to a deeper understanding of its applications and implications in the ever-evolving landscape of aquaculture

Six-membered ring systems: with O and/or S atoms

A large variety of publications involving O- and S-6-membered ring systems have appeared in 2018. The importance of these heterocyclic compounds is highlighted by the large number of publications on the total synthesis of natural oxygen derivatives and of other communications dedicated to natural and synthetic derivatives. Reviews on the ruthenium-catalyzed synthesis of various O-6-membered heterocycles (18SC1551), the enantioselective syntheses of 3,4-dihydropyran derivatives (18CR2080), and strategies for the synthesis of coumarins (18SC1534) have appeared. The synthesis of natural pyran-2-ones and pyran-4-ones starting from alkynes and promoted by gold complexes (18AGE4215) and cyclization strategies of substituted alkynyl acids and esters to afford pyran-2-one and isocoumarin derivatives (18SL1) have been detailed in minireviews. The synthesis of various O-6-membered derivatives was also achieved through ultrasound irradiation (18SC1235) and using 4-hydroxy-6-methylpyran-2-one as a building block in multicomponent reactions (18H(96)381).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio