Production and Characterization of New Generation Hybrid Food Packaging Material Made of Polymer Nanofiber Containing Pomegranate Peel Powder

Abstract

Antioxidants, which are known as the effects of free radicals, have become increasingly popular in the health and food industries due to the problems of trust in synthetic based products. Since the early times of human history, it has many uses such as food, medicine and cosmetics. In recent years, the demand for naturally derived antioxidants has increased, and therefore the number of researches on naturally derived antioxidants has been increasing. During the industrial processing of agricultural raw materials and in domestic use, a significant amount of waste and by-products are generated. Among these, pomegranate by-products (pomegranate seed, peel, flower, etc.) come to the fore with high amounts of bioactive ingredients due to their high phenolic content. In this study, the production of nanofiber containing polylactic acid (PLA) polymer containing pomegranate peel powder (PPP) was carried out by electrospinning technique. Material properties were determined by applying morphological-SEM-scanning electron microscopy, mechanical-tensile and biological-antioxidant test processes to the produced membranes. These membranes produced will be able to show hybrid material properties that prevent free radical formation and extend the shelf life of food.