Development of anacardic acid incorporated biopolymeric film for active packaging applications

Biodegradable films with functional characteristics are finding several applications in the active packaging of foods and fresh-cut horticultural produce in particular, as effective alternatives to single-use plastics. In this study, anacardic acid (AA) was extracted from cashew nut shell liquid oil (CNSL) and characterized using GC-MS and HPLC. Further, the extract showed anti-microbial activity against foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus faecalis, Salmonella typhi, and Shigella boydii, apart from potent antioxidant behavior. With the hypothesis to exploit its food preservation capabilities, packaging films of AA-chitosan blends were prepared; these showed remarkable anti-browning effects on fresh-cut apple slices, superior to chitosan alone. The physical properties of these films were evaluated and the developed film showed around 60 % biodegradability in 30 days. This study highlights a unique application scope for underutilized CNSL.