The addition of plasticizers (glycerol, sorbitol and their combination, at concentrations of 15, 30

and 45%) to film-forming solutions with “sugar palm” starch (Arenga pinnata) helped to overcome
nature Oropeza-González, Rafael et al. 069 brittle and brittle of films without plasticizer. The
increase in the concentration of the plasticizer resulted in an increase in the thickness, moisture
content and solubility, and conversely, the density and water absorption of the films decreased
with the increase in the concentration of the plasticizer. Those containing glycerol and glycerol-
sorbitol showed greater solubility, and films plasticized with sorbitol showed a lower effect on
moisture content and water absorption (Sanyang et al., 2016a). Films with sorbitol have lower
moisture content than those containing glycerol (Poeloengasih et al., 2016). The type of plasticizer
and its concentration influence film thickness, density, moisture content, solubility, swelling
capacity and water absorption (Sanyang et al., 2015a); significantly improves the properties of the
film (Sanyang et al., 2016a). When the plasticizer is added, new molecular interactions are
reestablished between it and the polymeric chains, which generates greater mobility and ease of
vibration of the hydroxyl groups (Arrieta and Palencia, 2016). Sanyang et al. (2015b) appreciated
that when the glycerol concentration was increased, the plasticized films showed the highest
reduction in tensile strength compared to the films laminated with sorbitol and glycerol-sorbitol.
The same result, expressed in reverse, was appreciated by Sánchez-Aldana et al. (2015), that at
low concentrations of glycerol the stress was higher (as happened to two Reis et al., 2014) and cite
that the increase in the concentration of plasticizer reduces the intermolecular forces thereby
increasing flexibility and reducing the strength of the materials. The decrease in tensile strength of
starch-based films due to the increase in the concentration of the plasticizer has been
documented by various authors (Dias et al., 2010; Muscat et al., 2012; Jouki et al., 2013).
Biopolymer films initially