Effect of mesoporous silica nanoparticles on the physicochemical properties of pectin packaging material for strawberry wrapping

Citrus peel pectin was used to prepare films (cast with or without glycerol) containing mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Nanoparticles reduced significantly the particle size, and had no effect on the Zeta potential of pectin solutions. Mechanical characterization demonstrates that pectin+nanoparticles containing films slightly increased tensile strength and significantly decreased the Young’s modulus in comparison to films made only of pectin. However, elongation at the break increased in the pectin+nanoparticles films cast in the presence of glycerol, while both Young’s modulus and tensile strength were reduced. Moreover, nanoparticles were able to reduce the barrier properties of pectin films prepared with or without glycerol, whereas positively affected the thermal stability of pectin films and the seal strength. The 0.6% pectin films reinforced or not with 3% nanoparticles in the presence of 30% glycerol were used to wrap strawberries in order to extend the fruit’s shelf-life, over a period of eighty days, by improving their physicochemical properties