Development and Evaluation of Chitosan Active Films for Food Packaging Materials: A New Exoskeleton Source

The objective of this study was to assess the extraction and characterization of chitin and Crustacean chitosan (CS) from the exoskeletons of the shrimp Farfantepenaeus californiensis (F. californiensis) as a new source to develop polymeric films for food packaging applications. The results suggested that chitin and CS presented an extraction performance of 29.33% and 16.46%, respectively. The resulting CS was of low molecular weight and showed a deacetylation degree of 80.23%. Moreover, the CS films were fabricated using glycerol to plasticize, presenting effective mechanical, optical, and thermal performance; as well as water/humidity stability. The active properties highlighted broad-spectrum inhibitory action against bacterial models associated with food degradation and human infection. The present investigation suggested the potential benefits of using the exoskeletons of F. californiensis as an alternative source for reducing waste generation and fabricating food packaging materials.