Screening and Integration of Watermelon Rind Extract (WMRE) for Functional Chitosan Thin Films
Rozaini ABDULLAH, Sharifah Zati Hanani SYED ZUBER, Noor Amirah ABDUL HALIM, Muhammad Zafri Aziman MOHD SALLEH
Abstract. This study explores the development of chitosan-based thin films incorporated with watermelon rind extract (CS-WMRE) as a sustainable material for active food packaging. Initially, the WMRE was obtained by comparing two maceration techniques: hot plate and water bath shaker, to maximize total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity. The hot plate method yielded the highest TPC (5.68 ± 0.47 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant activity (16.49 ± 0.37%). Then, three different effects of the parameters were screened via a Two-level factorial design, specifically focusing on the amounts of chitosan (wt.%), glycerol (wt.%), and watermelon rind extract (WMRE) (wt.%). The respective response was antioxidant activity (%). ANOVA analysis indicates that these three parameters and their interactions were highly significantly associated with enhanced antioxidant activity and overall performance. FTIR analysis showed the presence of phenolic groups, appearing between 1405.86–1407.85 cm⁻¹, which are linked to O–H bending. Meanwhile, water vapour permeability (WVP) analysis showed that incorporating WMRE reduces the film’s WVP, thereby improving its barrier properties. These findings highlight the potential of upcycled watermelon rind as a functional additive in chitosan-based thin films, offering a sustainable approach for various applications, particularly in packaging and other fields that require moisture-barrier characteristics.
Keywords
Watermelon Rind Extract, Thin Film, Active Packaging, Two-Level Factorial
Published online 1/15/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Rozaini ABDULLAH, Sharifah Zati Hanani SYED ZUBER, Noor Amirah ABDUL HALIM, Muhammad Zafri Aziman MOHD SALLEH, Screening and Integration of Watermelon Rind Extract (WMRE) for Functional Chitosan Thin Films, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 59, pp 64-71, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903957-9
The article was published as article 9 of the book Separation Technology
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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