Abstract

• This research work was concerned with the preparation, characterization and application of biodegradable chitosan (C) film to be used as a packaging materials. A series of chtisoan (C) film was prepared using different amounts of chitosan by solvent evaporating method. In this preparation 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% of chitosan solutions kept in an autoclave under 0.1 MPa pressure at 121C for 20 min were used. The homogeneous chitosan solutions after autoclaving were casted on melamine plate and left for a few days. The chitosan films obtained were characterized according to physicomechanical and physicochemical properties. The prepared C films were characterized by mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation at break and tear strength. According to the mechanical properties, 2 % w/v C was the most suitable for preparing C-2 film. Prepared C-2 film was characterized by modern techniques such as SEM, FT IR and TG-DTA. Antimicrobial activities of C-2 film was investigated by agar-disc diffusion method. Biodegradability of prepared C-2 film was studied by soil burial method. The quality controlling factors of mango fruits (water content, titratable acidity, reducing sugar content, crude fiber, total soluble solid, effect of pH, refractive index and weight loss) were investigated by using prepared film (C-2) as packaging materials. It was found that, for all unpackaged (control) mango fruits and packaged fruits, water contents, sugar contents, and crude fiber contents were slightly increased, but the weight loss percents were sharply increased (inverse of pH). One determining quality controlling factor was the total solubility that decreases for unpackaged (control) mango fruit, i.e, control where as it increases for packaged mango fruit, i.e, mangoes packaged by C-2 film. Moreover, unpackaged (control) mango fruits started to undergo spoilage after 10 days. However, it was found that package of mango fruits showed longer shelf life, that is, with a longer ripening time compared unpackaged (control) fruits.