Water-Absorbent Biodegradable Aerogels Based on Potato, Cassava, Bean, and Maize Starches Applied in the Absorption of Chicken Exudate

Starch aerogels are a clean-label alternative to produced active packaging aimed at preserving food products. This study aims to produce water-absorbent and reusable aerogels from different starches and investigates their properties according to the type of starch. The aerogels are produced using different starch concentrations and evaluated in terms of morphology, density, porosity, relative crystallinity, texture properties, water absorbent capacity, reusability as water absorbent, and water absorption rate. The aerogel is applied as an absorbent of chicken breast exudate. The starches' amylose content is 28.2%, 27.4%, 45.4%, and 30.2% for the potato, cassava, bean, and maize starches, respectively. All aerogels display physical integrity and porous structures with low density and high porosity, and their relative crystallinity decreases compared to the starches. The texture properties show great elasticity. The aerogels present high water absorption capacity, ranging from 685% to 1714%. Potato and bean starch aerogels can be reused as water absorbents 12 times showing, after the first immersion, a stable water retention rate over the reusable period. The maize starch-based aerogel is applied as an absorbent for chicken breast exudate, reaching 39% absorption, proving to be an excellent material for application as active food packaging for fresh food preservation. Aerogels are three-dimensional porous structures. Starch is effective in producing clean-label aerogels with high water absorption capacity. Different sources and concentrations of starch result in aerogels with distinct properties and the potential to be applied in food packaging. image