Selezione di estratti naturali da economia circolare come potenziali ingredienti attivi per la produzione di polimeri per il food packaging

Active food packaging represents a promising research area in the agri-food sector for prolonging product shelf-life, with positive effects on safety levels and food waste reduction. Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most widespread polymeric materials obtained from renewable resources, thanks to its versatility, performance and reduced environmental impact concerning both production processes and subsequent use, up to the disposal phase (in compliance with European standard EN 13432 on compostable materials). The inclusion of specific Active Ingredients (AI) in PLA can give the packaging the ability to slow down degradation and microbial contamination of the content. In recent years, plant extracts have aroused great interest in their potential use as AI thanks to several activities and functions they can perform; furthermore, the use of natural products from circular economy for functionalization, instead of synthetic chemicals, can further contribute to the sustainability and safety of the final product. In the context of this study, natural extracts from waste and by-products of the agri-food sector, in particular from olive, chestnut, pomegranate and grapevines, obtained with sustainable processes, were evaluated as possible AIs. The extracts were characterized by HPLC-DAD-MS analysis for their content of active compounds, and tested in vitro for antioxidant activity related to the total polyphenol content and antimicrobial activity against microorganisms of food and biomedical interest, providing interesting results. The selection of the extracts for the production of the active PLA will be performed according to activity data