Investigation of Glycerol and Sorbitol Effect to the Cinnamon Essential Oil Incorporated Corn or Rice Starch Based Edible Films

Corn or rice starch based, cinnamon essential oil incorporated, and plasticized with glycerol and/or sorbitol, eco-friendly, biodegradable edible films have been produced successfully. The effects of glycerol, sorbitol and cinnamon essential oil on thephysical and barrier properties (colour parameters, moisture content, water solubility, water vapour transmission rate of corn and rice starch edible films have been investigated. Corn starch composite films plasticized with glycerol and rice starch composite films plasticized with sorbitol, have demonstrated high colour change. The composite films have lower moisture contents. The control films containing only glycerol as plasticizer have higher moisture content than the control films containing only sorbitol. Glycerol is found to be a more suitable plasticizer for starch films as lower water vapour transmission rate values are preferred in the food industry and the composite rice starch films, has the highest water solubility. The interaction of film components has been evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.