Banana flower bract anthocyanin based pH sensitive, intelligent film indicator developed using banana starch and its derivative

Smart intelligent packaging has more traction in food applications due to its role in enhancing food safety, improving shelf life and reducing food loss. Utilization of banana starch and anthocyanin from bract of male flower (bell) could be the sustainable option to make functional, interactive packaging films. In this study, bio-films were developed using different solid supports namely, banana native starch (BNS), banana modified starch (BMS), corn starch (CS), plasticizers (polyvinyl alcohol, glycerol), additive (chitosan), incorporating banana bract anthocyanin (BBA) as a quality indicator for chicken meat. Upon analyzing the UV–VIS and NMR spectra of the BBA at different pH values, a significant change in the electronic transitions of the anthocyanin molecules was observed at varying pH conditions. Films with BMS, chitosan (CH) and BBA exhibited the highest tensile strength as observed in the stress-strain curve. The same films prepared with chitosan and BBA showed higher antioxidant activity and antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli and Stapylococcus aureus. It was also evident from ⧍E that, the anthocyanin with varying polymers significantly influenced the color of films with different pH levels. In addition, the raw chicken meat samples with the strip of BMS-CH-BBA films recorded lower total viable count, Pseudomonas sp., release of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and trimethylamine nitrogen (TMAN). It is summarized that a biofilm, integrating BBA with BMS, chitosan, PVA and glycerol could produce a highly pH sensitive and stable active films as a visual indicator of freshness of the products like chicken meat and pH sensitive horticultural produces.