Material, antibacterial and anticancer properties of natural polyphenols incorporated soy protein isolate: A review

Abstract On global scale, researchers and industries are investing considerable effort to find suitable green alternative by switching to bioplastic that may help in reducing the negative impact on our environment. Among various plant derived polymers, soy protein isolate (SPI) is garnering much attention owing to its inherent biodegradable nature and fair film forming abilities. However, SPI based edible films face certain challenges like poor mechanical strength, relatively less gas barrier, high water uptake, negligible antimicrobial resistance and weak antioxidizing activity. To overcome these challenges, phenolic acids (caffeic acid, gallic acid and ferulic acid), flavonoids (rutin, catechin and epicatechin) and polyphenolic extract (grape seed, licorice, green tea), obtained from renewable sources, are incorporated in SPI. Plant derived phenols and polyphenolic compounds are widely investigated as promisable additive due to their therapeutic values and biocompatible nature. Food and non-food based polyphenolic compound impart light to dark brown film coloration with better mechanical properties. Polyphenols incorporated SPI film shows considerable antibacterial property against food borne pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella species. Furthermore, polyphenolic compounds are exclusively recognized for their anticancer properties via modulation of several pathways involved in cancer progression and apoptosis. This review is primarily focused on material characterization, antimicrobial, antioxidant properties and biodegradation behavior of several natural polyphenols incorporated SPI films.