Using mango and jackfruit waste to produce active and biodegradable films, trays and cups.

• Grant number: 24/16728-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: November 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Delia Rita Tapia Blácido
• Grantee: Ivone Yanira Choquetico Iquiapaza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Synthetic plastics accumulate in the environment causing serious pollution problems, including contamination by microplastics, which negatively affects human and animal health. Ecological and sustainable alternatives are essential to mitigate plastic pollution, but they need to offer competitive properties and affordable costs to the population. In this sense, fruit waste represents a cheap source for obtaining compounds of interest for the manufacture of bioplastics, such as active films, trays and biodegradable cups. Therefore, this project aims to produce mango and jackfruit seed flour and starch, extracts with a high content of bioactive compounds from the jackfruit seed film using natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) and cellulose nanofibres from the jackfruit peel by enzymatic method, to be applied in the production of bioactive films, trays and cups. The physicochemical, functional, microstructural, thermal and bioactive properties and biodegradability of the materials optimized will be determined. BEPE's activities include the study of the microstructure and thermal insulation of trays and cups and will be carried out at the University of Paris-Saclay, CentralSupélec (France). The bioactive nanocomposite film will be used as a packaging material for oxidation-sensitive foods such as white chocolate. The cups will be tested in liquids with different temperatures and pHs. (AU)