Valorization of Pineapple Peel Waste: Isolation and Characterization of Pectin for Sustainable Food Packaging

The increasing environmental concerns associated with synthetic plastic packaging have accelerated research toward sustainable and biodegradable alternatives. Agro-industrial waste has emerged as a promising source of natural biopolymers. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruit peel, an abundant agricultural by-product, is rich in pectin, a natural polysaccharide widely used for film-forming and food packaging applications. The present study focuses on the isolation and characterization of pectin from pineapple fruit peel waste and its potential utilization in biodegradable food packaging systems. Pectin extraction was carried out using acid extraction under controlled conditions of pH, temperature, and extraction time. The isolated pectin was characterized for percentage yield, moisture content, ash value, equivalent weight, methoxyl content, anhydrouronic acid content, and degree of esterification. Structural and physicochemical characterization was performed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and solubility analysis. Pectin-based films were prepared by the solvent casting technique and evaluated for thickness, tensile strength, flexibility, transparency, water absorption, and biodegradability. The extraction process yielded a significant amount of pectin from pineapple peel waste, demonstrating its feasibility as an economical and sustainable raw material. Physicochemical analysis confirmed the purity and desirable functional properties of the isolated pectin. FTIR analysis verified the presence of characteristic pectin functional groups, while SEM images revealed a relatively smooth and homogeneous morphology. The prepared pectin films exhibited acceptable mechanical strength, flexibility, and transparency suitable for food packaging applications. The films also demonstrated good biodegradability and moderate moisture barrier properties, indicating their potential as eco-friendly packaging materials. The isolated pectin exhibited favorable physicochemical, structural, and film-forming properties. Utilization of pineapple peel waste not only adds value to agricultural by-products but also contributes to waste management and the development of sustainable packaging materials for the food industry.