Optical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties of bio‐based composites of poly(L‐lactic acid) and D‐limonene/β‐cyclodextrin inclusion complex

Composites made of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and β-cyclodextrin/D-limoneneinclusion complex (CD-Lim) are prepared to develop novel food packaging mate-rial with antibacterial properties. The composites are formulated with bio-basedmaterials that are also biodegradable. The addition of CD-Lim to PLLA results inenhanced permeability and water uptake. Optical properties of PLLA/CD-Limcomposites also significantly vary compared to plain PLLA, with partial loss oftransparency and gloss, but sizably increased barrier to UV light, which impartsprotection from oxidation to lipid-containing food. The mechanical properties ofthe composite films are also affected by composition. Most notably, PLLA filmscontaining CD-Lim display significant antibacterial and antifungal properties,proving their potential as active food packaging films.