Marotta Angela, Borriello Angela, Khan Muhammad Rehan, Cavella Silvana, Ambrogi Veronica, Torrieri Elena
Department of Chemical, Materials, and Industrial Production Engineering (INSTM Consortium-UdR Naples), University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Piazza Carlo di Borbone, 80055 Portici, Italy.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Mar 11;17(6):735. doi: 10.3390/polym17060735.
The environmental concerns associated with synthetic polymers have intensified the search for sustainable and biodegradable alternatives, particularly for food packaging applications. Natural biopolymers offer promising solutions due to their biodegradability, reduced environmental impact, and reliance on renewable resources. Among these, agri-food waste and by-products have gained significant attention as valuable feedstocks for polymer production, supporting a circular economy approach. This review critically examines the current status of biopolymers derived from plant, animal, and microbial sources, focusing on their physical and chemical properties and their application in food packaging. The findings underscore that the properties of plant- and animal-based biopolymers are heavily influenced by the source material and extraction techniques, with successful examples in biodegradable films, coatings, and composite materials. However, a critical gap remains in the characterization of microbial biopolymers, as research in this area predominantly focuses on optimizing production processes rather than evaluating their material properties. Despite this limitation, microbial biopolymers have demonstrated considerable potential in composite films and fillers. By addressing these gaps and evaluating the key factors that influence the success of biopolymer-based packaging, we contribute to the ongoing efforts to develop sustainable food packaging solutions and reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste.
与合成聚合物相关的环境问题加剧了人们对可持续和可生物降解替代品的探索，特别是在食品包装应用方面。天然生物聚合物因其可生物降解性、对环境影响的降低以及对可再生资源的依赖而提供了有前景的解决方案。其中，农业食品废弃物和副产品作为聚合物生产的宝贵原料受到了极大关注，支持了循环经济模式。本文综述批判性地审视了源自植物、动物和微生物来源的生物聚合物的现状，重点关注其物理和化学性质及其在食品包装中的应用。研究结果强调，基于植物和动物的生物聚合物的性质在很大程度上受原料和提取技术的影响，在可生物降解薄膜、涂层和复合材料方面有成功案例。然而，微生物生物聚合物的表征仍存在关键差距，因为该领域的研究主要集中在优化生产工艺而非评估其材料性质。尽管有此限制，微生物生物聚合物在复合薄膜和填料中已显示出相当大的潜力。通过弥补这些差距并评估影响基于生物聚合物的包装成功的关键因素，我们为开发可持续食品包装解决方案和减少塑料垃圾对环境的影响的持续努力做出了贡献。
