PRODUCTION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOPLASTICS BASED ON POLYSACCHARIDE FROM Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd

The use of non-biodegradable synthetic polymers in the production of plastic packaging is responsible for a series of environmental impacts. Some of these plastics are disposable, and with the annual increase in demand for them, this has led to a growing accumulation of plastic waste in the environment, especially in marine environments, often through accidental loss, improper disposal, and discharge into wastewater. In this context, there is a growing interest in bioactive and biodegradable packaging developed from sustainable resources. Therefore, this work aims to produce and characterize bioplastics based on polysaccharides from the defated pulp of Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd (bocaiúva)
(PDPB). Bioplastics were produced by combining PDPB with polyvinyl alcohol, glycerol, and different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (1, 2, and 3% v/v). Bioplastics obtained were called F1, F2, and F3 and characterized according to solubility, thickness, optical (opacity and transparency), and mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation percentage). The solubility test showed that formulations F1 and F3 presented higher solubility (94% ± 0.1) (p<0.05), while F2 exhibited lower solubility (93% ± 0.1). The thickness measurements for F1, F2, and F3 were (0.079 ± 0.01 mm), (0.109 ± 0.01 mm) and (0.112 ± 0.01 mm), respectively. Regarding the optical properties, F1 presented more opacity (3.7 A.mm-1) when compared to F2 (2.7 A.mm-1) and F3 (3.3 A.mm-1) (p<0.05). In the transparency test, the values decreased progressively from F1 to F3 (21.20, 16.13, and 14.53 %.mm-1), suggesting a direct influence of the hydrogen peroxide concentration used during production. The mechanical tests showed that F1, F2, and F3 presented tensile strength of 0.013 (± 0.003), 0.014 (± 0.004), and 0.019 (± 0.004) MPa, respectively. The percentage of elongation was 50.2 (± 1.6) for F1, 48.5 (± 1.5) for F2 and 50.8 (± 1.1) for F3. Bioplastics from Acrocomia aculeata emerge as a promising material for future applications in the biotechnological area and/or in the development of bioactive and biodegradable packaging intended for food preservation.