In this study, a new edible film was prepared using hyacinth bean starch (HBS) as the base material for the first time. The amylose content of HBS was 20.33% and the HBS films were prepared by the casting method. Various plasticizers were added to the film-forming solution to enhance its mechanical properties. Among them, the film containing glycerol had the best mechanical properties. Thus, glycerol was selected as the optimal plasticizer of HBS film. As the content of glycerol as a plasticizer increased, the tensile strength of the film decreased and the elongation at break increased, resulting in a more flexible film. The moisture content, water solubility, and water vapor permeability also increased with the addition of glycerol to the HBS film. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that glycerol in the HBS film was uniformly dispersed. Consequently, our results indicate that HBS can be used as a base material for edible films. These results suggest that the developed HBS film has the potential for use as a new alternative to synthetic packaging material for foods.

Keywords: edible film, hyacinth bean starch, glycerol, physical properties