Effect of gum ghatti on physicochemical and microstructural properties of biodegradable sodium alginate edible films

Sodium alginate (SA) limits its application due to its low stability and poor performance. This study explored the synergy between SA and gum ghatti (GG) to improve the performance of biodegradable SA film. In this study, the chemical structure, rheological properties, morphology, thermal stability, and physical properties of the films were evaluated. Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis (FTIR-ATR) revealed that hydrogen bonds are established between SA and GG, as well as strong electrostatic interactions. scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed that SA has good compatibility with GG. Differential scanning calorimetry data demonstrated the excellent thermal properties of the SA/GG blend films. The film with an SA/GG ratio of 5:1 exhibited an elongation at break (EB), tensile strength (TS) and water vapor permeability (WVP) of 15.27% and 34.11 MPa and 7.19 × 10 −11 g/(m s Pa), respectively. In addition, the light barrier properties of the blend film were improved 65.17%. Thus, there is a strong interaction between SA and GG to improve the properties of the blend films. SA/GG blend films offer wide application prospects as packaging materials and biomaterials in food industries.