Comparison of biodegradable composite film properties based on starch containingOlibanum, Zein and PVA with the aim of food productspackaging

One of the most effective methods to reduce environmental pollutions caused by the accumulation of plastic materials is production andapplication of biodegradable films for food packaging. In this research, biodegradable composite films based on starch including starch-Olibanum, starch-Zein and starch-PVA were produced and all their physical, mechanical and color properties compared to starch film as control. According to the results, incorporating Olibanum, Zein and PVA into starch reduced solubility of the films in water, so that thesolubility of starch-Olibanum, starch-Zein and starch-PVA composite were determined as 35.8%, 32.8% and 47.5%, respectively in compare with 78.2% for starch film. Addition PVA to starch films caused significant increase in tensile strength (TS) of composite film. The elongation (% E) of composites film was significantly increased in compare to starch film, and starch-PVA samples showed higher elongation than others.The lowest L *, a*, b* and ΔE were seen in starch-PVA film, so it was the most transparent films among all composite. These results suggest that to overcome two major limitations of starch films include poor mechanical properties and high water solubility, Zein and PVA are suitable options to blend with starch and produce composite films.