Xanthan-Curdlan nexus for synthesizing edible food packaging films.

Abstract In this study, we prepared a series of edible blend films of xanthan and curdlan by mixing different ratios of these two biopolymers. Characterization techniques like FTIR, XRD, TGA and SEM analysis were applied to investigate the newly formed films. Moreover, mechanical properties, moisture absorbance properties and water solubility of these films were also determined. The obtained results demonstrated that the strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding was observed between xanthan and curdlan at pH 5. At this pH, the xanthan-curdlan hydrogel retained the original structure of xanthan and sustained self-aggregation of xanthan chains via hydrogen bonding, which led to strong intermolecular bonding between xanthan and curdlan. Furthermore, the 5:5 and 4:6 ratios of xanthan and curdlan showed greater interaction in the blend films that resulted in their excellent miscibility. Moreover, highest tensile strength of 28.13 and 26.45 MPa were also found in the same rational of XG/CG blend films. In addition, it was observed that the curdlan incorporation improved the water solubility properties of XG/CG blend films. Conclusively, this xanthan/curdlan nexus with excellent mechanical and moisture barrier properties confirm its potential application and prospective use as food packaging material.