Characterization of the Synthesized Polysaccharide from the Mucilaginous Substance of Corchorus olitorius L. (Nalta jute) and Development of a Novel Bio-Based Antimicrobial Films

Abstract

Plastic waste production is a serious global environmental problem. The Philippines alone could
generate millions of tons of plastic waste annually and large amount of that leaks into the oceans. Thus, this
study derived polysaccharide material from the mucilaginous substance of the Corchorus olitorius L. (Nalta
jute) plant to produce a bio-based film. The precipitated mucilage from the plant was dried to obtain the
polysaccharide material, was then characterized via Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and
evaluated for its physicochemical properties. The film was formulated along with glycerol as an emulsifier.
Results of FT-IR proved that the polysaccharide is a pectin which had stretching vibrations of O-H, C-H,
C=O, C-O and methylene bridge of sp3 CH2. The obtained polysaccharide material is odorless and grayishwhite
with 72.5% DE, 5.5pH, 2.25% moisture, and 100% solubility in water. Meanwhile, Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM) revealed that the film had a flat structure, free from cavities having compact and
homogenous appearance. TG-DTA revealed evident weight loss at 320C – 422.400C with thermal
degradation began at 69.970C reaching an endothermic peak at 237.190C. The film has 100% water
solubility and 89.97% swelling degree at a pH level of 9 with 5.566N maximum load capacity. On the other
hand, the formulated film affirmed antimicrobial capacity against S. aureus (ZOI=17.53mm), E. coli
(ZOI=16.17mm), S. marcescens (ZOI=19.32mm), E. faecalis (ZOI=16.01mm), and C. tropicalis
(ZOI=42.12mm). The developed polysaccharide-based film from the mucilaginous substance of Nalta jute
proved its potential as antimicrobial food packaging material with satisfying physicochemical properties and
thermal resistance.