Synthesis and characterization of active gelatin biofilms derived from fishery waste

Abstract

Trends and future of sustainable development are declined through economic, environmental and social pillars, of which the vision of circular economy and waste valorisation is a fundamental basis. This spurs both curiosity- and application-driven research towards the study of materials and products from renewable sources. In this context, fishery industry waste represents a wide pool of natural substances which can be extracted and converted into high added value products, of interest in different fields from biomedical, to nutraceutical, cosmetic and food packaging. This Thesis reports the extraction of gelatin from two kinds of fish waste as mullet scales and sole skin and the further treatment of gelatin for the synthesis of thin biofilms enhanced by various additives such as plasticizers (glycerol), cross-linkers (citric acid, chitosan) and optically active materials (carbon dots, CDs). Also, the use of a surfactant was investigated to help the dispersion of CDs into texture with the aim to achieve films with effective UV-blocking properties.