Development and characterization of edible films made with Indian jujube fruit puree and pectin

Abstract Indian jujube ( Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk ) fruit also known as “Ber” has been a useful fruit in India from age‐old days. It contains antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antibacterial properties, additionally they are rich in vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, etc. The jujube puree was used for developing edible films along with varying concentrations of pectin (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5%). The edible films on characterization show that a rise in pectin concentration helps to improve the tensile strength of the film from 54.55 to 472.32 kPa. But the stability or water tolerance of the films were negatively affected by a rise in pectin concentration. The solubility of films was increased to 83.32% from 76.77%. Properties like color, water activity, and water vapor permeability were less affected with the addition of pectin. The work leads to the successful development of jujube puree—pectin‐based edible film that can create a positive influence on film mechanical and barrier properties. The properties of these edible films can be further improved with the administration of suitable cross‐linking agents or bioactive compounds. Practical Applications Indian jujube is a seasonal fruit and generally available for a very short duration mostly from January to April and mostly consumed as raw. The pulp and peel of this fruit are rich in different bioactive compounds. As the fruit is highly perishable major fraction of the total yield gets wasted every year. It is not yet commercially explored to make value‐added products. The development of edible films from these fruit purees helps to introduce novel colors and flavors to the edible film research. The film composition used in the study can also be adapted for coating perishable fruits by spraying, which helps to add barriers to its spoilage. It can also help to increase the nutrition and quality of the product for which the film is used. The study helped to understand the potential of jujube fruit as a novel edible packaging material and opened new opportunities to utilize the indigenous varieties of seasonal fruits that are not celebrated in the market.