https://doi.org/10.17113/fftb.63.02.25.8949

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Characterization and in situ Biodegradation Analysis of Brown Kraft Paper Coated with PHA for Potential Sustainable Packaging

Sevakumaran Vigneswari^1,2*, Mohammad Amir Huzer Mohammad Idris³, Siti Nor Syairah Anis³, Seeram Ramakrishna⁴ and Abdullah Al-Ashraf Amirul^3*

¹Institute of Climate Adaptation and Microbial Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Terengganu, Malaysia

²Ocular Infections and Antimicrobials Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower, 169856 Singapore, Singapore

³School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia

⁴Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117581 Singapore, Singapore

Copyright © 2025 This is a Diamond Open Access article published under CC-BY licence. Copyright remains with the authors, who grant third parties the unrestricted right to use, copy, distribute and reproduce the article as long as the original author(s) and source are acknowledged.

Article history:

Received: 11 November 2024

Accepted: 27 May 2025

Keywords:

PHA-coated brown kraft paper; sustainable packaging material; biodegradation analysis; biodegradable films

The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.

Summary:

Research background. Biodegradable packaging is gaining immense research interest as conventional non-biodegradable food packaging has led to significant environmental pollution. In response to this, this study aims to develop biodegradable films based on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) as potential food packaging material.

Experimental approach. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) homopolymer, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] and copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-3HV)], known microbial biodegradable biopolymer plastics, were layered in different mass ratios using the dispersion coating technique over the brown kraft paper as a food packaging material. PHA are known to be safe, non-cytotoxic and non-genotoxic, with a remarkable ability to biodegrade in the environment. The P(3HB) and P(3HB-co-3HV) were synthesised from carbon sources of palm olein and a combination of palm olein with 1-pentanol, respectively, using Cupriavidus malaysiensis USMAA2-4_ABH16, a transformant bacterial strain with acquired lipase genes.

Results and conclusions. Contact angle analysis indicated that brown kraft paper coated with P(3HB-co-3HV) had a higher contact angle than uncoated brown kraft paper and paper coated with P(3HB). The biodegradation analysis of brown kraft paper coated with P(3HB) showed that it degraded 100 % within 9 days compared to all samples of brown kraft paper coated with P(3HB-co-3HV), which were completely degraded by day 12.

Novelty and scientific contribution. The results show that brown kraft paper coated with P(3HB-co-3HV) was more hydrophobic than uncoated and P(3HB)-coated brown kraft paper. This study encourages further investigations of brown kraft paper coated with PHA to develop biodegradable food packaging, paving the way for a sustainable alternative to non-biodegradable packaging material.