DOI: 10.5061/dryad.p8cz8wb0d
title: Data from: Improving properties of chitosan/PVA films using cashew nut Testa extract – potential applications in food packaging

description: Cashew nut testa, a by-product of cashew nut processing, is abundant in
 phenolic compounds and exhibits strong antioxidant properties, making it a
 potential additive for enhancing the antioxidant properties of
 biodegradable films used in food packaging. This study explores the
 fabrication of biodegradable chitosan/PVA polyvinyl alcohol films
 incorporating varying concentrations of cashew nut testa extract (CNTE;
 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3% v : /v) and evaluates their physical, structural,
 mechanical, optical and antioxidant properties. The results demonstrate
 that increasing extract concentration generally increased the thickness,
 tensile strength, Young's modulus, thermal stability, and antioxidant
 capacity of the films, while reducing the moisture content, swelling
 degree, elongation at break, and light transmittance. Specifically, the
 film with 3% extract showed approximately 11% lower moisture content and
 31% lower swelling degree compared with the plain film. It also displayed
 the highest tensile strength and yYoung's modulus at 28.63 MPa and
 147.335 MPa, respectively. Microstructural analysis revealed that the
 incorporation of cashew nut testa extract CNTE resulted in a smoother and
 slightly denser film structure. The antioxidant activity, determined by
 DPPH ((2,2-Ddiphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) (DPPH) scavenging assay, was not
 detected in the plain film but increased with increasing extract
 concentration. The film with 3% cashew nut testa extract CNTE exhibited
 the highest antioxidant activity of 58.93 µmol TE/Trolox equivalents (TE)
 g−1 film. This study highlights the potential of cashew nut testa
 extractCNTE as an effective edible additive for developing antioxidant and
 UV ultraviolet barrier films with improved mechanical strength and water
 resistance for food packaging applications.
description: # Raw data
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.p8cz8wb0d](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.p8cz8wb0d) This dataset contains raw experimental data on light transmittance, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The dataset is housed in a single Excel file titled `Raw_data.xlsx`, which contains three sheets: 1-**Light Transmittance**: This sheet includes raw measurements of light transmittance for CHI0, CHI1, CHI2 and CHI3 samples (three replicates for each). The data is structured in columns, with each row representing a measurement point at different wavelengths. Key variables include wavelength (nm), transmittance percentage (%), and sample identifiers. 2-**FT-IR**: This sheet presents the FT-IR spectroscopy data, showcasing the absorbance values across a range of wavelengths of CHI0, CHI1, CHI2, and CHI3 samples. The columns specify the wavenumber and corresponding transmittance value (%). 3-**TGA**: The TGA sheet contains data relating to the thermal stability of the samples, detailing the weight loss as a function of temperature. Key columns include time, temperature, weight, weight percentage, and sample identifiers. Units are within the column headers.