Optimization of Bioactive Compounds Incorporation into Nanocellulose-Based Films for Food Packaging Applications

The production and use of plastics have direct consequences on the environment, such as the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) they cause. Therefore, it is necessary to develop materials from renewable sources with a lower environmental impact to replace plastic. In this work, films with bioactive properties have been developed from cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and natural phenolic compounds for food packaging applications. First, the optimization of the incorporation of three different natural phenolic compounds (tannic acid, p-coumaric acid, and acetosyringone) into nanocellulose was studied using a Box–Behnken design, with the phenols adsorbed by the nanocellulose as the output variable. Once the incorporation was optimized, films containing nanocellulose and phenolic compounds were produced and characterized. Tannic acid showed the best results with regard to the optical properties of the resulting films and achieved a complete blocking of UV-B radiation, as well as adding to nanocellulose antioxidant (4.32 mM TE/g film) and antibacterial capacity (log R of 6.6 ± 0.2 and 3.8 ± 0.1 for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively), making these films a promising material for use in contact with food as a packaging material, although more in-depth studies and measures are needed to make these films viable for use in food packaging.