Extração de pectina do limão tahiti (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) para formação de biofilmes

Abstract

With the various environmental problems currently faced, reducing the use of materials from non-renewable sources is a strategy to minimize the damage caused to nature. The biofilm, in addition to promoting the replacement of conventional plastic, also generates a reduction in the volume of waste generated by the juice industries, since its formation is usually from pectin, a substance present in fruit peels. These films are membranous structures, formed from the drying, in an oven, of a liquid rich in pectin with or without the addition of a plasticizing substance. Pectin, in turn, has thickening and stabilizing characteristics, and its extraction is carried out at high temperatures and mediated with acid. Thus, the present work aimed to form biofilms based on pectin powder, extracted from Tahiti lemon, which had an average yield of 14.36%. The biofilm had its homogeneous formation and of varied thicknesses, using Sorbitol as plasticizing agent. Among its other characteristics are its breaking tension of 31 kPa and its elongation percentage of 2.8%. Its biodegradability also presented satisfactory visual results. A material with varied possibilities of use is then presented, with a production versality and easy industrial implementation.