Table 1.

Summary of principal studies utilizing plant protein as base material for packaging material development from 2021 to 2025.

Sl. No.	Base Material	Fabrication Technique	Study objective	Results	Reference
1.	Soy & Pea protein	Solution casting after the Protein fibrillization process	To develop soy and pea protein-based fibrils for biodegradable film	Film resulted in enhancements in the structural, mechanical, and functional properties	Karabulut (2025)
2.	Kidney bean protein & grape pomace	Solution casting	Develop an active biodegradable packaging film with Antioxidant and antibacterial properties	Results reflected that a 50/50 ratio improved hydration, barrier, structural, mechanical and thermal properties	Samani et al. (2025)
3.	Soybean lipophilic protein & thyme oil	solution casting	Develop emulsion films with enhanced thyme oil retention to prolong the shelf life of salmon	Film demonstrated strong biocompatibility, water resistance, thermal stability, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, sustained release capabilities, and efficient biodegradability	Sun et al. (2025)
4.	Grass pea protein, apple pomase pectin & propolis extract	Dipping solution	To assess the effect of propolis extract concentrations in edible coatings on black mulberry shelf life	A 12 % propolis extract coating was most effective, maintaining postharvest quality of black mulberries and extending their shelf life to 18 days at 4 °C	Salimi et al. (2025)
5.	Blackseed protein combined with furcellaran & chitosan	Layer by layer solution casting	Designing multi-layer biodegradable film	The tested films exhibited enhanced water behavior, improved UV–Vis barrier properties, and increased antioxidant activity (DPPH >70 %) compared to the control film	Kasprzak et al. (2024)
6.	Zein- & soy protein isolate	Injection molding	To check impact of recycling on biodegradable bio-based materials	It is confirmed that protein-based bioplastics derived from two different renewable sources can be reprocessed while preserving their mechanical properties	Alsadat-Seyedbokaei et al. (2024)
7.	Wheat, zein protein & carrot pomase	Compression molding	Design natural polymeric materials by compression molding	These biocomposites exhibiting mechanical strength (elastic modulus of 244 MPa and tensile strength of 10 MPa), elongation at break of 24 %, high transparency and optical clarity, effective UV blocking, excellent antioxidant activity, and strong barrier properties against water	Merino et al. (2024)
8.	Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) protein	Mycelium-based pellets (produced by pellet mill)	Valorization of SCGs through protein extraction for use in mycelium-based packaging and pellets	These findings emphasize the potential of SCGs as a versatile resource, offering sustainable solutions across multiple industries	Becze et al. (2024)
9.	Soya protein, grape seed & green tea extracts	Film formation by 3D printing with accuracy (>98 %), pressure of 0.062 MPa and nozzle diameter of 0.25 mm	Design and fabricate edible active packaging materials using 3D printing technology	Grape seed and green tea extracts modified the structural, mechanical, and antioxidant properties of films by affecting protein-protein interactions and altered the rheological behavior	Ahmadzadeh et al. (2023)
10.	Cottonseed protein & PLA	Solvent casting method	Reduces cost while enhancing the opacity and stretchability of the film to some extent	The combination offers complementary benefits, making these films suitable for food packaging applications	Biswas et al. (2023)
11.	Zein	Injection molding	The aim of this work was to develop bioplastics using zein	The absence of significant crosslinking facilitated melting, thereby confirming the recyclability of zein-based materials while preserving their properties	Alsadat-Seyedbokaei et al. (2023)
12.	Soybean, wheat, Zein protein & cellulose nanocrystals	Solution casting	To enhance physicochemical properties of plant protein packaging film through integration with biodegradable materials	The study demonstrated that cellulose nanocrystals significantly improved the physicochemical properties	Fu et al. (2022)
13.	Hemp seed protein	Solution casting	Develop biodegradable packaging using hemp protein and different glycerol concentrations and at different pH level	Films prepared at pH 12 with 50 % glycerol (w/w protein) as a plasticizer demonstrated improved resistance, maintained flexibility, and found higher in heat-sealing strength	Mirpoor et al. (2022)
14.	Sunflower protein isolates & bacterial nanocellulose	Solution casting	Application of sunflower-based biorefinery to biodegradable biofilms for food packaging applications	The biofilms were tested for fresh strawberry packaging, demonstrating effective preservation at 10 °C by inhibiting microbial growth and maintaining the quality	Efthymiou et al. (2022)
15.	Soy Protein	Extrusion and injection molding	To develop soy protein-based bioplastics by incorporating zinc sulfate through extrusion, utilizing different plasticizers and processing temperatures	The results highlight the significant potential of extrusion for bioplastic development, offering the possibility of reducing operating costs during industrial processing	(Jiménez‐Rosado et al., 2022)