Bioactive Films Based on Arrowroot Starch, Passion Fruit Peel Pectin, and Rosemary Essential Oil: Structural and Functional Characterization for Food Packaging Applications

Biodegradable polymeric films with natural active compounds offer a sustainable approach to improving food safety and self-life. This study developed bioactive films using arrowroot starch (AS) and pectin extract (PE) from yellow passion fruit peel via solution casting. Sucrose (SU) and rosemary essential oil (REO) were incorporated to enhance functional properties. Films were characterized by optical, mechanical, barrier, antioxidant, and antimicrobial proprieties. PE acted as a plasticizer and increased antioxidant potential due to its high phenolic content, confirmed by DPPH and FRAP assays. REO exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, mainly attributed to α-pinene. Although water vapor permeability of formulation F2 (0.5% REO, 1.4% SU) doubled compared to control, transparency, color, and tensile strength remained stable. F2 also showed a 5.23% increase in DPPH inhibition. These findings highlight the potential of films developed as active, sustainable packaging materials.