Lignin as a UV blocking, antioxidant, and antimicrobial agent for food packaging applications

The overwhelming use of non-biodegradable plastics derived from petroleum has resulted in serious environmental pollution and ecological concerns, which has spurred the development of biodegradable and renewable alternative materials. As the most abundant aromatic polymer with excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility, lignin possesses huge potential for the production of a variety of functional and sustainable materials that can serve as plastic substitutes. In recent years, lignin-derived biodegradable films have attracted a great deal of attention in both fundamental research and practical applications, and there have been several noteworthy advances in this sector. Here we review lignin as UV blocking, antioxidant, and antimicrobial agent for food packaging applications. The most recent advancements in the preparation and advanced applications of packaging film materials derived from lignin are reviewed here from a sustainability perspective. The structural and chemical characteristics of lignin are introduced, followed by an extraction and incorporating techniques in polymer matrix. Finally, the food packaging applications of lignin from wood and non-wood sources of lignin-derived biodegradable film materials are discussed, along with potential future routes for sustainable and environmentally friendly lignin-derived film materials.