Preparation of highly flexible and sustainable lignin-rich nanocellulose film containing xylonic acid (XA), and its application as an antibacterial agent

For high value utilization of depectinized celery, in this work. Sulfuric acid (1%, 160 °C, 60 min) treatments, followed by high pressure homogenization, were used to isolate lignin-rich nanocellulose (LRNC) from depectinized celery. LRNC yield from celery was 43.9%. LRNC solutions containing up to 20% xylonic acid (XA) were cast into films, which exhibited significantly improved flexibility, transparency, and hydrophilic properties. Moreover, the antibacterial property of the hybrid films was determined by the content of XA, and better antibacterial property were gained with higher amounts of XA. In total, > 61.6% depectinized celery was used as the storage of food yield. This study provided a value-added utilization technology for celery and other vegetables.

Keywords: Celery; Food packaging; Lignin-rich nanocellulose; Nanocomposite; Xylonic acid.