Physicochemical Properties for Food Packaging and Toxicity Behaviors Against Healthy Cells of Environmentally Friendly Biocompatible Starch/Citric Acid/Polyvinyl Alcohol Biocomposite Films

Abstract The current study focuses on the fabrication, characterization, and cytotoxic effects of polymeric biocomposite films composed of starch, various concentrations of citric acid (3%, 6%, and 9%), and polyvinyl alcohol. The cross‐linked corn starch (S)‐polyvinyl alcohol (P) biocomposite films are prepared by casting technique using glucose (G) and fructose (F) as plasticizers. The chemical structure of obtained films is characterized by Fourier transform infrared and x‐ray diffraction. Physicochemical parameters of the films such as solubility, swelling capacity, and water vapor permeability, optical and mechanical properties are investigated. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity is evaluated to determine the biocompatibility of samples. The physicochemical properties of S‐P(Starch‐Polyvinyl alcohol) films improve with the addition of citric acid during the esterification reaction. The tensile strength for Starch‐Polyvinyl alcohol‐Glucose blend composition with 3% citric acid (SPG3) and Starch‐Polyvinyl alcohol‐Fructose blend composition with 3% citric acid (SFG3) biocomposite films is determined as 10.17 and 8.24 MPa, respectively, compared to 8.16 and 7.94 MPa for without citric acid, respectively. The cell viability values of biocomposite films towards NIH‐3T3 and L929 cells are calculated 90% compared to the control group. Thus, it demonstrates that they are also quite biocompatible materials.