Development of Antioxidant Composites Based on Reprocessed PLA Reinforced with Bacterial Cellulose Obtained from Kombucha Fermentation in an Infusion of Cauliflower Stems
4 affiliations
- 1Departamento de Ingeniería Química Industrial y del Medio Ambiente, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM), 28006 Madrid, Spain
- 2Departmental Section of Galenic Pharmacy and Food Technology, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid, Av. Puerta de Hierro, s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- 3Grupo de Investigación, Polímeros, Caracterización y Aplicaciones (POLCA), 28006 Madrid, Spain
- 4Centro de Investigación en Materiales Estructurales (CIME), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C/Profesor Aranguren 3, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Abstract
In this study, cauliflower stems were used as an infusion medium for kombucha fermentation to produce kombucha bacterial cellulose (KBC). The obtained KBC was incorporated into reprocessed poly(lactic acid) (rPLA) films as a reinforcing filler. Cauliflower stem powder (CS) was also evaluated for comparison. Films containing 1 and 3 wt.% of each filler were characterized in terms of their mechanical, thermal, physicochemical, and morphological properties, surface wettability, water vapor barrier properties, antioxidant activity using a fatty food simulant, and disintegration under laboratory-scale composting conditions. The results showed that both fillers reduced the mechanical strength of the films without significantly affecting their thermal transitions, chemical structure, or surface wettability. rPLA-KBC-reinforced films exhibited the best overall performance for the intended use, with lower reductions in mechanical and barrier properties and providing antioxidant activity to rPLA-based systems, reaching radical scavenging activities of approximately 15% and 26% for films containing 1 and 3 wt.% of KBC, respectively. In addition, all formulations completely disintegrated under composting conditions within approximately 21 days. These findings demonstrate the potential of combining agricultural and industrial waste to develop sustainable antioxidant rPLA-based materials for food packaging applications.
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BibTeX
@article{cerro2026development,
title = {{Development of Antioxidant Composites Based on Reprocessed PLA Reinforced with Bacterial Cellulose Obtained from Kombucha Fermentation in an Infusion of Cauliflower Stems}},
author = {Daniela A. Cerro and Pedro Pacios and Ángel Agüero Rodríguez and Eva Hernández-García and Marina P. Arrieta},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/polym18192390},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13667277},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Development of Antioxidant Composites Based on Reprocessed PLA Reinforced with Bacterial Cellulose Obtained from Kombucha Fermentation in an Infusion of Cauliflower Stems
AU - Daniela A. Cerro
AU - Pedro Pacios
AU - Ángel Agüero Rodríguez
AU - Eva Hernández-García
AU - Marina P. Arrieta
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18192390
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13667277
AB - In this study, cauliflower stems were used as an infusion medium for kombucha fermentation to produce kombucha bacterial cellulose (KBC). The obtained KBC was incorporated into reprocessed poly(lactic acid) (rPLA) films as a reinforcing filler. Cauliflower stem powder (CS) was also evaluated for comparison. Films containing 1 and 3 wt.% of each filler were characterized in terms of their mechanical, thermal, physicochemical, and morphological properties, surface wettability, water vapor barrier properties, antioxidant activity using a fatty food simulant, and disintegration under laboratory-scale composting conditions. The results showed that both fillers reduced the mechanical strength of the films without significantly affecting their thermal transitions, chemical structure, or surface wettability. rPLA-KBC-reinforced films exhibited the best overall performance for the intended use, with lower reductions in mechanical and barrier properties and providing antioxidant activity to rPLA-based systems, reaching radical scavenging activities of approximately 15% and 26% for films containing 1 and 3 wt.% of KBC, respectively. In addition, all formulations completely disintegrated under composting conditions within approximately 21 days. These findings demonstrate the potential of combining agricultural and industrial waste to develop sustainable antioxidant rPLA-based materials for food packaging applications.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -