Molekul, Vol. 20. No. 2, July 2025: 362 – 372

Articles

MOLEKUL

eISSN: 2503-0310

https://doi.org/10.20884/1.jm.2025.20.2.15519

Development and Characterization of Edible Films from Sodium Alginate and Arrowroot Starch
Plasticized with Sorbitol
Tien Dat Huynh1, Pham Thao Nguyen Ngo1, Vinh Tien Nguyen2, Condro Wibowo3*
Department of Food Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Food
Technology, Nong Lam University, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
2
Faculty of Chemical and Food technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education,
1 Vo Van Ngan Street, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
3
Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture Jenderal Soedirman University,
Purwokerto 53123 Central Java, Indonesia
1

*Correspondence author email: condro.wibowo@unsoed.ac.id
Received April 07, 2025; Accepted July 20, 2025; Available online July 20, 2025
ABSTRACT. The demand for eco-friendly packaging is growing in industrial applications. This study aimed to develop edible
films using sorbitol, sodium alginate (SA), and arrowroot starch (ARS). Sorbitol, serving as a plasticizer, was evaluated for
optimal concentration, while various SA:ARS ratios were tested for film formation. Physicochemical properties, including
thickness, color, tensile strength, elongation, moisture content, opacity, water solubility, water vapor transmission rate,
biodegradability, FTIR, and SEM morphology were analyzed. Results indicated that 0.5% sorbitol produced films with ideal
thickness, color, tensile strength, and elongation. SA:ARS ratios significantly influenced film properties, with the 0.9:0.1 ratio
yielding a thin, smooth, and highly biodegradable film. This formulation provides a basis for further edible film research
and food industry applications.
Keywords: Arrowroot starch, edible film, sodium alginate, sorbitol

INTRODUCTION
The development of environmentally friendly food
packaging is an emerging request for better
sustainability in the food industry. Plastic packaging is
one of the leading sources of environmental pollution
since it is extremely difficult to degrade in nature.
Biopolymer films made of renewable resources,
usually obtained from natural raw materials such as
starch and sodium alginate (Murrieta‐Martínez et al.,
2018; Shanbhag et al., 2023), would be an excellent
alternative to plastic film. Starches derived from
various botanical sources are an important polymer
contributing to the development of biofilms (Wibowo
et al., 2020). Arrowroot (Canna edulis KERR) starch
has been investigated to develop starch films due to its
high amylose content, offering the film superior
physicochemical properties such as better tensile
strength and flexibility (Nogueira et al., 2019; Tarique,
et al., 2021). Arrowroot starch-based films have been
developed by incorporating different materials such as
carnauba wax (de Oliveira Filho et al., 2020),
blackberry pulp (Nogueira et al., 2019). Plasticizer use
in arrowroot starch–based films has been limited, and,
based on current literature, glycerol appears to be the
only plasticizer documented to date (Nogueira et al.,
2018; Tarique et al., 2022). Conversely, alternative

plasticizers have not yet been reported in this context.
Sorbitol has been widely used as a plasticizer in starchbased films such as corn, tapioca, and potato starches
(Nogueira et al., 2019). However, the investigation of
using sorbitol as a plasticizer in arrowroot starchbased film is quite limited. The interaction between
sodium alginate and starch has been reported
(Siddaramaiah et al., 2008). Sodium alginate
extracted from seaweed is valued in sustainable
packaging for its biodegradable, safe, and superior
film-forming properties (Deepa et al., 2016). Although
sodium alginate produces transparent and flexible
films (Gheorghita et al., 2020), its low mechanical
strength often necessitates blending with other
materials to improve performance. Sodium
alginate/starch system has been used to develop
biodegradable films (Wang et al., 2013; Abduwaiti et
al., 2021). The combination of sodium alginate,
arrowroot starch, using sorbitol as a plasticizer for
producing edible film has not been studied yet and the
interactions between sorbitol, sodium alginate and
arrowroot starch in edible films have not been fully
investigated. This study aimed to develop edible films
based on a sodium alginate/arrowroot starch system
with sorbitol as a plasticizer. To achieve this aim,
specific objectives were set as follows: determine the

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Tien Dat Huynh, et al.

suitable concentration of sorbitol as a plasticizer, and
then investigate the impact of the sodium
alginate/arrowroot
starch
ratio
on
the
physicochemical properties of the film.

Thickness

EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
Materials
Sodium alginate (PT Samiraschem, Indonesia),
arrowroot starch (CV Progress Jogja, Indonesia), and
food grade sorbitol that were obtained from Prima
Chemical Store (Indonesia).

Color

Determining Suitable Sorbitol Level in Arrowroot
Starch-Alginate Film
The experimenta l procedure is illustrated in
Figure 1. The film-casting method followed Otoni et
al. (2017). Sorbitol was tested at 0.5,1.0, and 1.5% to
the mixture of sodium alginate (SA) and arrowroot
starch (ARS). The composite film formulation
consisting of SA and ARS was consistently maintained
for each treatment in the sorbitol application. The
mixture was prepared into a slurry and stirred at 500
rpm for 30 minutes at 70–80 °C using a heated
magnetic stirrer. Sorbitol was then added, followed
by an additional 20 minutes of stirring. After cooling
to 30 °C, 100 mL of the solution was poured into
molding dishes and dried at 35 °C for 20 hours.
The films were collected, stored on parchment
paper at 25±2 °C and 55±1% relative humidity
(RH), and analyzed for color, thickness, tensile
strength, and elongation. The experiment was
performed in triplicate.
Effect of Sodium Alginate:Arrowroot Starch Ratio on
The Film Properties
The second phase of this experiment, was to
produce arrowroot starch-based edible film, using five
variations of sodium alginate (SA) and arrowroot
starch (ARS) ratio (SA:ARS ratio), as described in Table
1. The same film-casting protocol was applied. Films
were analyzed for physicochemical properties,
including moisture content, thickness, color, opacity,
tensile strength, elongation, solubility, water vapor
transmission, biodegradability, and SEM morphology.
Each film was tested in four replicates.
Physicochemical Properties Characterization

Moisture content

The moisture content of film was evaluated by
gravimetric method according to the procedure
described by Júnior et al. (2021). The 5 g of the film
samples were determined using an analytical balance.
The samples were heated to 105 oC for 24 hours in an
oven, and after they were cooled, their weight was
measured. Moisture content (%) was determined by the
following equation:
𝑊 −𝑊
𝑀𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 1 2 ∗ 100
𝑊1

Where by,
W1 is the initial mass of the film
W2 is the final mass of the film.

The thickness of films was measured using an outside
micrometer (Keawpeng et al., 2022). Each film was
tested for thickness at ten random sites. The results
were expressed in millimeters.
Color was analyzed using a colorimeter (CS 10 CS10 CHNSPEC, Zheijiang Co. Ltd., China), as
described by Bhatia et al. (2023). The instrument was
calibrated using a black and white panel available
from the device before use. Color analysis was carried
out by putting the optic probe on a film sheet. Results of
color analysis were displayed on the screen using L*,
a*, and b* values. Analysis was made on 10 different
points and the data given were average of these
replications.

Opacity

Opacity was analyzed using spectrophotometry
UV-Vis based on a study of Zhao et al. (2022). Samples
were cut into 4 x 1 cm (length x width) and shaped
into a cuvette with a similar size to ensure the light
path from the spectrophotometer can pass through
properly. Then the cuvette was placed in a
spectrophotometer and the absorbance was
measured at 600 nm wavelength (A600). The
calculation of opacity was calculated using the
following equation:
𝐴600
𝑂𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 (𝑚𝑚−1 ) =
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 (𝑚𝑚)

Tensile strength and elongation

The tensile strength and elongation were
measured using a universal testing machine (UTM),
Stable Microsystem (UK) based on a study by Yu et al.
(2023). The film was cut into 100 x 20 mm (length x
width) and mounted centrally in the UTM grips. The
film was stretched at a constant speed of 5 mm/min
until failure. The tensile strength and elongation were
calculated as follows:

𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ (𝑀𝑃𝑎) =
𝐸𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (%) =

𝑀𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑎𝑥.𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑚

× 100%

Water solubility

The ability to be dissolved in water of the films was
measured using the method described by Behera et al.
(2022). The dry films were cut (2 x 2 cm) and weighed
to record the initial weight (a1). The films were then
immersed in 100 mL of distilled water in a glass
beaker. Subsequently, the glass beaker was placed on
the magnetic stirrer and the sample was stirred for 2
hours at the speed of 500 rpm. After 2 hours, the nonsolubilized samples were filtered by using filter paper
(pore size 15-20 µm). The insoluble part was dried
and the dry mass was measured (a2). Solubility was
calculated as follows:
𝑎 −𝑎
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 (%) = 1 2 × 100
𝑎1

Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR)

The water vapor transmission rate was measured
as described in a study by Behera et al. (2022). The
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films were cut into 4.1 cm diameters to determine the
water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). Each vial
contained 2 grams of silica gel, and a suitable
adhesive was used to seal the films. The complete
setup was weighed and kept at room temperature for
24 hours. The WVTR was calculated using the
following equation:
WVTR(𝑔/𝑚2 . ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟) =

weight difference (gram)
time (hours)

spectrometer (Jasco, Japan). FTIR spectra were
recorded within the wavenumber range of 4000–400
cm-1 with a resolution of 2 cm-1.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Optimal Sorbitol Concentration for Edible Film
Casting

Thickness, tensile strength and elongation

× surface area (m2 )

Biodegradability

Biodegradability
testing,
which
evaluates
decomposition ability and impact on the environment,
followed a method suggested by Beghetto et al.
(2020).
Biodegradability
measurement
was
determined using a soil burial degradation test. The
film was cut into small pieces (2 x 2 cm), and then they
were buried in garden soil and observations were
made at 5, 15, and 30-day intervals until the samples
were decomposed.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

The film samples were adhered to double-sided
carbon tape and subsequently mounted onto
aluminum stubs before being placed into the SEM
chamber of the TM4000plus instrument (Hitachi,
Japan). An accelerating voltage of 5 kV was employed
to optimize the visualization of the membrane surface
with a working distance of approximately 6 mm.
Images were acquired at a magnification of 1000X.

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)

Each membrane sample was positioned and firmly
pressed onto the ATR base of the FT/IR 4700

The sorbitol concentration significantly affected film
formation and morphology (Figure 1). Imaging
showed that 0.5% sorbitol enabled proper film
formation. The sorbitol concentration significantly
(p<0.05) affected film formation and morphology
(Figure 1). At 0.5% sorbitol, which was applied as a
plasticizer, proper film formation was enabled.
Increased plasticizer concentration enhanced the
polymer matrix and total dissolved solids, thickening
the film (Suyatma et al., 2005). Table 2 presents the
average thickness values. The thickness of the films
ranged from 0.06 to 0.09 mm, aligning with the
findings of Hatmi et al. (2020), who reported a
thickness of around 0.06 to 0.125 mm in cassava and
canna starch-based films, respectively. The highest
thickness (0.09 mm) was observed at 1.5% sorbitol,
while the lowest (0.06 mm) was at 0.5%. Different
plasticizers and concentrations influence edible film
properties like density, thickness, and solubility. Ideally,
edible films should be under 0.25 mm thick (Skurtys,
2010), making thinner films preferable. Here, the
0.5% sorbitol film was the thinnest, suggesting its
potential as an optimal plasticizer concentration for
further edible film research.

Figure 1. Edible film casting procedure and experimental design
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Table 1. Sodium alginate (SA) and arrowroot starch (ARS) ratios used to formulate
edible film
Name samples
SA:ARS (C1D)
SA:ARS (C2D)
SA:ARS (C3D)
SA:ARS (C4D)
SA:ARS (C5D)

SA:ARS ratio (of total 1% w/v)
0.9:0.1
0.7:0.3
0.5:0.5
0.3:0.7
0.1:0.9

Table 2. Thickness, tensile strength, and elongation at the break of films cast from
various sorbitol concentrations
Sorbitol added
Thickness
Tensile strength
Elongation
(%)
(mm)
(MPa)
(%)
0.5
0.06 ±0.01b
0.26±0.12a
7.56±2.64b
1.0
0.08±0.02a
1.5
0.09±0.02a
0.06±0.01b
78.01±17.00a
The values are mean ± standard deviation (n =3). Different letters in the same
column showed statistically different (p<0.05). “-“ not available, due to the edible
film being thin and sticking together, making it impossible to shape for experiments
Table 2 shows that orbitol concentration
significantly affected tensile strength and elongation in
edible films. The highest tensile strength (0.26 MPa)
was at 0.5% sorbitol, while the lowest (0.06 MPa) was
at 1.5%. As a plasticizer, sorbitol reduces hydrogen
bonds and increases molecular spacing, enhancing
flexibility (Yu et al., 2023). Higher sorbitol
concentrations weaken tensile strength but increase
elongation, as seen in previous studies (Khoiriyah,
2018; Martins et al., 2022). Elongation ranged from
7.56% (0.5% sorbitol) to 78.01% (1.5% sorbitol).
Plasticizers reduce polymer intermolecular forces,
increasing flexibility (Khwaldia et al., 2004). Both
elements of edible films are affected by the
concentration of plasticizer added. Since sorbitol acts
as a plasticizer, this causes the possibility of hydrogen
bonds to be reduced and molecular spacing to
increase, resulting in a more flexible and edible film
structure (Yu et al., 2023). Besides, the addition of
plasticizers can also reduce the intermolecular forces
of the polymer to increase the toughness of the edible
film. According to other experiments, as the sorbitol
concentration increases, the elongation rate also
increases. Increasing the sorbitol concentration
resulted in a significant decrease in tensile strength
and a large increase in elongation (Martins et al.,
2022). Generally, higher sorbitol increases elongation
but lowers tensile strength (Rahmawati et al., 2019).
While 0.5% sorbitol had lower elongation, its tensile
strength was acceptable, whereas 1.5% led to
excessive stretching. Thus, 0.5% sorbitol would be the
optimal plasticizer concentration.
Effect of Different Sodium Alginate (SA) And Arrowroot
Starch (ARS) Ratios on The Physicochemical Properties
of The Edible Film

Moisture content

The ratio of SA:ARS showed a significant (p<0.05)
effect on the moisture content of the edible films (Table

3). Moisture content of the films ranged from 12.44%
(C5D) to 18.42% (C1D) in the combined treatment of
various concentrations of ARS. An increased trend in
the moisture content was observed with an increase in
the percentage of SA added. The results of this study
are in agreement with a study by Xiao et al. (2000),
who reported that increasing SA from 5.1 to 56.1%
lead to a linear increase in the moisture content of
film. SA is an anionic polysaccharide of L-guluronic
and D-mannuronic acids (Akbar et al., 2023),
containing highly hydrophilic functional groups such
as hydroxyl and carboxyl, which readily interact and
retain water. Higher moisture content may enhance the
molecular mobility of the film and increase the free
volume in the film matrix (Zhang et al., 2018). As
water molecules penetrate the film matrix, they form
new hydrogen bonds with polar groups (such as
hydroxyl and carboxyl), thereby weakening the
original polymer-polymer interactions. This disruption
increases molecular mobility, allowing the polymer
chains to move more freely relative to one another. The
enhanced mobility, in turn, contributes to an increase
in free volume within the film structure. Water content
in food affects the stability, appearance, texture, and
taste of food, as well as controlling the growth of
microorganisms. The edible film that has low moisture
would reduce microbial damage and thus extend the
shelf life of foodstuffs.

Thickness

Data analysis showed that SA and arrowroot starch
variations did not significantly affect film thickness
(Table 3), which ranged from 0.056 to 0.072 mm. The
thickest film (0.072 mm) was at 0.1% arrowroot starch
(C1D), and the thinnest (0.056 mm) was at 0.9%
(C5D). Film thickness may depend on polymer
composition and structure, with branched polymers
forming thicker films. It was reported that increasing
sodium alginate (SA) concentration results in thinner

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Table 3. Moisture, thickness, and color parameters of the films obtained from different sodium
alginate and arrowroot starch ratios
Sample
Moisture
Thickness
Color
(%)
(mm)
L
a*
b*
C1D
18.42 ± 0.54a 0.072±0.019a 89.55±0.37a -0.04±0.08d 2.66±0.26c
C2D
17.04 ± 0.60ab 0.069±0.012a 89.40±0.24a -0.01±0.13d 2.96±0.56b
C3D
15.21 ± 1.35bc 0.056±0.011a 88.92±0.29b
0.13±0.06c 2.95±0.23b
cd
a
b
C4D
13.69 ± 0.79
0.060±0.010
88.92±0.26
0.20±0.63b 3.01±0.31b
d
a
c
C5D
12.44 ± 1.13
0.056±0.010
88.35±0.42
0.28±0.14a 3.54±0.33a
The values are mean ± standard deviation (n =4). Different letters in the same column showed
statistically different (p<0.05).
Table 4. The opacity, water solubility, and water vapor transmission rate of the films with different sodium
alginate and arrowroot starch ratios
Tensile strength
Opacity
Water
WVTR (g/m²hour)
Samples
Elongation (%)
(MPa)
(mm-1)
solubility (%)
C1D
0.46 ± 0.12a
17.86 ± 4.36c
2.41±0.19c
96.53±1.89a
1.86 ± 0.15a
b
b
c
b
C2D
0.36 ± 0.09
25.84 ± 4.95
2.41±0.65
90.23±0.30
1.43 ± 0.23ab
a
c
b
b
C3D
0.64 ± 0.17
18.81 ± 5.43
3.32±0.39
89.84±0.49
1.29 ± 0.19b
b
b
ab
c
C4D
0.43 ± 0.05
31.44 ± 5.80
3.58±0.39
87.66±0.39
1.27 ± 0.26b
c
a
a
d
C5D
0.32 ± 0.05
42.19 ± 5.60
4.33±0.31
60.97±0.07
0.12 ± 0.16b
The values are mean ± standard deviation (n =4). Different letters in the same column showed statistically
different (p<0.05).
SA:ARS

SA:ARS

SA:ARS

SA:ARS

SA:ARS

0.9:0.1
C1D

0.7: 0.3
C2D

0.5:0.5
C3D

0.3:0.7
C4D

0.1:0.9
C5D

Day
0

Day
5

Day
15

Day
30

Figure 2. Biodegradability of films obtained from different SA:ARS ratios. Samples were observed at day
0, 5, 15, and 30 films after burying.

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Tien Dat Huynh, et al.

films, whereas higher starch concentrations tend to
increase film thickness (Galus & Lenart, 2013;
Tavassoli-Kafrani et al., 2016). However, the trend was
not found in this study. The low total polymer
concentration (1%) used in this study may not have
been sufficient to induce noticeable changes in the film
thickness. Additionally, the incorporation of sorbitol in
the film formulation may have interfered with the
structural or interactive properties of ARS and SA,
potentially diminishing their functional performance.
Further investigation is necessary to clarify this effect.

Color

The color characteristic value of edible films is one
of the important physical properties that affect the
attractiveness of the product contained within the film.
Previous studies have shown that white and high
brightness are positively related to enhanced edible
film quality (Ali et al., 2023). Table 3 shows that the
SA:ARS ratio significantly affected film color. L* values
(brightness) differed statistically (p<0.05), decreasing
from 89.55 to 88.35 as ARS increased. This trend
aligns with Zhao et al. (2022), who observed lower
brightness with higher starch content. Arrowroot starch
contains up to 40.86% amylose (Sandoval Gordillo et
al., 2014) may cause retrogradation during the film
drying process. The reassociation of amylose may
form a semi-crystalline region within the film matrix,
consequently resulting in a reduction of surface
brightness. Brightness preference depends on
application-high for fruits/vegetables, lower for
meat/nuts (Moore et al., 2006). Films with a SA:ARS
ratio of 0.9:0.1 had higher brightness and
transparency, ideal for visually appealing products.
Increasing ARS (from 0.1% to 0.9%) shifted a* values
from green (-0.04) to red (0.28) and increased
yellowness (b* value). The lowest b* (2.66) was at a
0.9:0.1 ratio. Color influences product appeal, and
previous studies link high brightness to better film
quality (Ali et al., 2023). Thus, a SA:ARS ratio of
0.9:0.1 is optimal for color quality.

Tensile strength and elongation

Table 4 shows that the SA:ARS ratio significantly
affected tensile strength and elongation (p<0.05). A
SA:ARS ratio of 0.5:0.5 (C3D) had the highest tensile
strength (0.64 MPa), while 0.9% ARS had the lowest
(0.32 MPa). Higher SA likely increased monomer
linkages, strengthening the film matrix, as suggested
by Beghetto et al. (2020). Unlike previous studies, this
research did not observe an increase in tensile strength
with higher concentrations of arrowroot starch (ARS).
For instance, Strnad et al. (2019) reported enhanced
tensile strength when ARS was incorporated into a
keratin-based film, while Beghetto et al. (2020) found
a similar trend using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)
as the film matrix. In contrast, our study employed a
combination of ARS and sodium alginate (SA) as the
base materials, which may have resulted in different
polymer-polymer interactions and a less rigid film
structure. The difference in the polymer types probably

contributes to the overall structure of edible films and,
consequently, reduces the tensile strength.
Films with poor flexibility or strength can lead to
breakage or cracking during production, handling,
storage, or use. The high elongation value is very
important for edible films to be resistant to normal
pressure during their food application. High
environmental relative humidity conditions would
increase the value of elongation because the
elongation of the film possibly increases due to the
nature of hydrophilic film-forming materials, such as
sodium alginate and arrowroot starch contain
hydroxyl groups that readily absorb moisture from the
environment (Titone et al., 2021). Elongation also
varied significantly (p<0.05). The lowest elongation
(17.86%) was at 0.9% SA, while the highest (42.19%)
occurred a SA:ARS ratio of 0.1:0.9 (C5D). Similar
trends were reported by Tarique, et al. (2021) that the
elongation of cellulose/konjac glucomannan films
decreased as the ARS content increased to a certain
level. Low flexibility may cause cracking, whereas
greater elongation enhances durability in food use. As
aforementioned, humidity promotes elongation due to
the moisture-absorbing hydrophilic groups (Titone et
al., 2021). The elongation value of the edible film can
be inversely proportional to the tensile strength. Low
elongation value, the tensile strength is high, and vice
versa on edible film with a high elongation value, the
tensile strength is low. This is due to the molecular
bond between the sodium alginate, arrowroot starch,
and the plasticizer in the form of sorbitol and matrix
film, which can reduce the tensile strength but increase
the value of film elongation (Purwanti, 2010).
According to the Japanese Industrial Standard (1997),
the films met the elongation requirement (>10%),
indicating their potential for food applications.

Opacity

Table 4 shows that film opacity varied with the
SA:ARS ratio. The highest opacity (4.3 mm⁻¹) occurred
a SA:ARS ratio of 0.1:0.9, as increased ARS reduced
transparency by limiting light transmission. This
suggests ARS- based films can help protect food
from light damage. Sodium alginate was found to
have colorless physical characteristics, allowing it to
decrease the opacity of edible films and produce
transparent film sheets. Tarique, et al. (2021) noted
that the decrease in opacity is attributed to increased
polymer chain mobility and intermolecular distances
in the film matrix, which promote light transmittance.
The opacity of edible films is an important trait
regarding the sensorial aspect, allowing for an
increase in the overall acceptance by consumers, as it
mimics the transparent
polymeric
packaging
materials (Zhao et al., 2022). So, a film with low
opacity is preferable because the high transparency
allows the customer to view the content inside the
packaging. However, a high opacity film may be
required to protect light-sensitive foods, preventing
nutrient loss via photooxidation and extending the

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product’s shelf life. However, high-opacity films are
beneficial for protecting light-sensitive foods and
preventing nutrient loss.

Water solubility

The edible films were characterized by a solubility
ranging from 60.97 to 96.53% (Table 4). The results
showed that the SA:ARS ratios had a significant
effect on the water solubility (p˂0.05). Sample C1D
(SA:ARS ratio of 0.9:0.1) had the highest water
solubility (96%), followed by C2D (SA:ARS ratio of
0.3:0.7, 90%). The sample C5D (SA:ARS ratio of
0.1:0.9) had the lowest water solubility with a value
of 61%. The higher the solubility value, the lower the
moisture resistance of the edible film. The value
of solubility in edible coatings is used to determine
the film integrity under humid conditions. Although
high-solubility edible films dissolve efficiently in
water, they typically exhibit poor moisture retention,
which may compromise their structural stability and
barrier functionality in humid conditions. Highsolubility edible films dissolve easily but cannot retain
water (Santos et al., 2022). It was observed that an
increase in sodium alginate increased solubility.
Sodium
alginate
is hydrophilic, so the high
concentration of alginate causes the edible film to
absorb more water and more easily dissolve in
water (Jyothi et al., 2009). The decrease in the
solubility value of the film was also caused by the
interaction of SA and ARS which formed a strong
and compact network, thereby reducing
the
opportunity for water to enter the polymer matrix and
reducing the solubility of edible films by (Jyothi et al.,
2009). The solubility of films obtained in this study
was in a range that was previously reported by
Santos et al. (2021).

Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR)

The results of determining the water vapor
transmission rate (WVTR) are presented in Table 4.
The WVTR values significantly differed along with
changes in SA:ARS ratios (p<0.05). The highest
WVTR value was obtained in treatment C1D (1.86
g/m²hour) followed by the treated values C2D (1.43
g/m²hour), C3D (1.29 g/m²hour), C4D (1.27
g/m²hour), and C5D (0.12 g/m²hour). The findings
of this study are in agreement with the WVTR water
standard (grade 4, in the range of 0.8334 to 4.16
g/m2hours) for food packaging films reported by
Yulistiani et al. (2020). The WVTR may correlate to
the thickness of the film. In our study, a slight
decrease in WVTR value was observed following a
decrease in the thickness (Table 3). An increase in
film thickness is caused by a high solid concentration
in the polymer matrix and thus produces a potential
barrier for water vapor (Santos et al., 2021). Alginate
films can absorb water from the environment and
increase their plasticity so that water diffuses more
easily (Racmayani & Husni, 2020).

Biodegradability
The films obtained from different SA:ARS ratios
showed a variation in biodegradability. The film
generated from SA:ARS ratio of 0.9:0.1 had the
highest degradability visually observed from days 5,
15 and 30 of burying (Figure 2). At day 5, this film
absorbed moisture and swelled as signs of
biodegradability. On day 15, the surface deterioration
of this film was observed, indicating a clear
degradation. On day 30, this film was completely
degraded. In contrast, the film cast from SA:ARS ratio
of 0.1:0.9 showed the lowest degradability. The films
were not completely degraded after 30 days of burial,
indicating a slower rate of decomposition. The
biodegradability of the films has been correlated to
mechanical properties such as tensile strength,
elongation (Lim et al., 2011), and water solubility
(Beghetto et al., 2020). It seems that the water
solubility predominantly affects the biodegradability
since the results in this study indicate that the film
obtained from SA:ARS ratio of 0.9:0.1 had the highest
water
solubility
and
biodegradability.
The
biodegradability (about 15 days) of the films in this
study was somewhat slower compared to that reported
in the literature (12 days) (Beghetto et al., 2020).
Nevertheless, the results showed that films generated
from sodium alginate and arrowroot starch have
biodegradable properties. Further investigation should
focus on the application of this film as an eco-friendly
packaging material.

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)

FTIR analysis was conducted to examine the
structural and functional groups of films with different
SA:ARS ratios. The spectra (Figure 3) displayed
characteristic polysaccharide peaks, including
hydroxyl (-OH), carboxylate (COO⁻), glycosidic (C-O),
and aliphatic (C-H), confirming the presence of SA
and ARS, consistent with previous polysaccharidebased film studies. A broad O-H stretching band
(3252–3274 cm⁻¹) indicated hydrogen bonding
between SA and ARS. Strong COO⁻ asymmetric
(1597–1647 cm⁻¹) and symmetric (1408–1412 cm⁻¹)
stretching peaks were more evident in SA-rich films
(C1D, C2D), reflecting higher carboxylate content,
while these peaks were weaker in starch-rich films
(C4D, C5D), aligning with other polysaccharide blend
findings (Siddaramaiah et al., 2008). C-O stretching
vibrations (1076–1148 cm⁻¹), representing glycosidic
linkages, appeared in all samples, while starch-rich
films (C4D, C5D) exhibited enhanced sacchariderelated vibrations (930–999 cm⁻¹), suggesting a
greater structural contribution from ARS (Azucena
Castro-Yobal et al., 2021; Siddaramaiah et al., 2008).

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

The SEM images (Figure 4a) showed notable
surface changes with increasing ARS content. At lower
ARS levels (10–50%, C1D–C3D), surfaces appeared

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Tien Dat Huynh, et al.

heterogeneous with visible solid particles, indicating
partial phase separation due to limited SA-ARS
compatibility, consistent with prior polysaccharide
blend studies (Galus & Lenart, 2013). In contrast,
higher ARS levels (70–90%, C4D, C5D) produced
smoother, more uniform surfaces, suggesting ARS as
the dominant matrix enhanced SA dispersion, aligning

with findings on starch-dominant systems (Nogueira et
al., 2019). SEM cross-sections (Figure 4b) showed
dense, compact structures without voids or
delamination, indicating strong SA-ARS compatibility
through hydrogen bonding, supporting previous
research on cohesive polysaccharide blends (Xiao et
al., 2000).

Figure 3. FTIR spectra of SA-ARS films.
(a) Surface

(b) Cross-sectrion

C1D

C1D

C2D
C2D

C3D

C3D

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Molekul, Vol. 20. No. 2, July 2025: 362 – 372

C4D

C4D

C5D

C5D

Figure 4. SEM micrographs of surface (a) and cross-section (b) of SA-ARS films at 1000X magnification.
CONCLUSIONS
Edible films were successfully made from sorbitol,
sodium alginate, and arrowroot starch. Sorbitol at
0.5% was the most effective plasticizer, providing
suitable thickness, color, tensile strength, and
elongation. The SA:ARS ratio of 0.9:0.1 produced a
thin, smooth film with high solubility, WVTR,
biodegradability,
and
acceptable
mechanical
properties, degrading within 15 days in compost.
These findings highlight arrowroot starch, sorbitol,
and alginate as promising materials for edible films.
Further research should focus on enhancement of
flexibility, heat sealability, and further explore
applications in soluble packaging for instant products
like tea and coffee.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We extend our deepest appreciation to the Institute
for Research and Community Services of Jenderal
Soedirman University (IRC Scheme) and Nong Lam
University for supporting this research.
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