broad-spectrum and selective antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral food-grade materials and their applications

This study presents the fabrication and characterization of biodegradable nanocomposite films based on a Polylactic acid (PLA) matrix, incorporating Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), for active food packaging applications. PVA/Ag nanocomposites were synthesized via an ultrasound-assisted chemical reduction method before their integration into the PLA matrix using a solvent casting technique. Characterization analyses (FT-IR, SEM, TEM) confirmed the successful formation of the composite material with a relatively uniform dispersion of silver nanoparticles within the polymer matrix. The PLA/PVA/Ag film with a 1.0 wt% content (F/1.0) exhibited optimal mechanical properties, with a tensile strength of 5.77 MPa, nearly 20% higher than the neat PLA control film. Notably, the composite material demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, effectively inhibiting the growth of B. subtilis, E. coli, and S. cerevisiae in a dose-dependent manner. These findings affirm the potential of PLA/PVA/Ag films as an advanced, sustainable, and effective packaging material for the food preservation industry.

The growing consumer demand for preservative-free food products has intensified research into antimicrobial biopolymers for food packaging. This study explores the antimicrobial potential of chitosan by developing a novel biopolymer through blending chitosan and whey protein in varying ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3) and incorporating essential oils to enhance antimicrobial efficacy. Mint and ginger essential oils were added at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%, with initial screenings identifying the optimal composition as a 1:1 chitosan–whey protein matrix supplemented with 1% mint essential oil. The optimized biopolymer exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against a Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and a Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium), as well as a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Notably, the presence of essential oils significantly enhanced the polymer’s antimicrobial properties, with superior efficacy observed in the essential oils compared to the polymer alone. Structural and physicochemical analyses demonstrated that the addition of mint essential oil improved the polymer’s surface uniformity, elasticity, and viscosity. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed that the functional groups of the biopolymer remained largely unaltered upon mint oil incorporation. Mechanical testing revealed an increase in tensile modulus and a decrease in cutting modulus, alongside a minor reduction (2.35%) in melting point. Additionally, both the untreated and mint-enriched biopolymers exhibited decreased brightness and a slight tendency toward yellowing. These findings underscore the potential of chitosan–whey protein-based biopolymers, reinforced with essential oils, as sustainable and effective antimicrobial packaging materials for food preservation.

Food safety issues are becoming increasingly important as a result of contamination with foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Plant essential oil is a safe and non-toxic natural antibacterial agent that can be used to develop antimicrobial active packaging materials. However, most essential oils are volatile and require protection. In the present study, LCEO and LRCD were microencapsulated through coprecipitation. The complex was investigated using GC-MS, TGA, and FT-IR spectroscopy. According to the experimental results, it was found that LCEO entered the inner cavity of the LRCD molecule and formed a complex with LRCD. LCEO had a significant and broad-spectrum antimicrobial effect against all five microorganisms tested. At 50 °C, the microbial diameter of the essential oil and its microcapsules showed the least change, indicating that this essential oil has high antimicrobial activity. In research on microcapsule release, LRCD has proven to be a perfect wall material for controlling the delayed release of essential oil and extending the duration of antimicrobial activity. LRCD effectively extends antimicrobial duration by encasing LCEO, thus improving its heat stability and antimicrobial activity. The results presented here indicate that LCEO/LRCD microcapsules can be further utilized in the food packaging industry.

Antibacterial packaging film mediated by photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a new concept in food industry. The objective of this study was to fabricate a green 2,3-dialdehyde cellulose (DAC)-based antimicrobial film with PDI potency by incorporating the β-cyclodextrin/curcumin (β-CD/Cur) complex as a photosensitizer. The PDI-mediated films were characterized by evaluating the surface morphology, chemical structure, light transmittance, mechanical properties, photochemical and thermal stability, and water solubility. The results showed that the DAC-CD/Cur films were soluble in water and mechanically strong with a tensile strength of 63.87 MPa and an elongation break of 1.32%, which was attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonds between DAC and β-CD/Cur molecules. Meanwhile, the composite films possessed a good light transmittance but impeded the penetration of ultraviolet light and efficiently delayed the degradation of curcumin. More importantly, the PDI-mediated films exhibited a broad-spectrum ability to kill Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Shewanella putrefaciens in pure culture. Notably, they also potently inactivated these harmful bacteria on ready-to-eat salmon with a maximum of ∼4 Log CFU/g (99.99%) reduction after 60 min irradiation (13.68 J/cm2). Therefore, the PDI-mediated DAC-CD/Cur films are novel and promising antimicrobial food packaging films in food industry.

No abstract available

ABSTRACT Amid persistent concerns over microbial foodborne illnesses and escalating antibiotic resistance, we introduce “NP,” a novel and effective broad-spectrum natural antimicrobial product derived from the filtered culture broth of Aspergillus oryzae grown in a food-grade liquid medium. NP demonstrates potent bactericidal activity against a range of food-borne and ESKPAE pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus (including eight distinct drug-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains), Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli (including O157:H7) with minimal inhibitory strength ranging from 25% to 100%. In addition, NP exhibits robust antifungal activity against several human pathogenic fungi including Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, and the prevalent food spoilage mold Penicillium species, arresting spore germination and vegetative cell growth. Mechanistically, NP disrupts the structural integrity of bacterial and fungal cell membranes, increasing membrane permeability and leading to cell death. Furthermore, genome-wide expression analyses of A. fumigatus vegetative cells exposed to NP reveal the downregulation of genes associated with the liveness of the fungal cells including ergosterol biosynthesis, cell wall maintenance, and development, with network analysis highlighting NP’s impact on various metabolic pathways. Notably, NP is presumed safe and thermally stable, holding promise for addressing foodborne illnesses and drug-resistant infections through the development and widespread application of a new generation of antimicrobials. IMPORTANCE The development of NP, a potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial, is a significant breakthrough in the ongoing challenge against microbial foodborne illnesses and the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. This food-grade culture broth of Aspergillus oryzae demonstrates exceptional broad-spectrum efficacy against a variety of harmful bacteria and fungi, including drug-resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and prevalent food spoilage molds. NP exhibits strong bactericidal activity against various foodborne and ESKAPE pathogens, and strong antifungal activity against Penicillium species, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicans. The potent bactericidal and antifungal properties of NP are a result of its ability to disrupt microbial cell membranes leading to increased permeability. Furthermore, the genome-wide impact of NP on fungal gene expression and metabolic pathways underscores its comprehensive antimicrobial action, leading to transcriptomic and metabolic changes associated with cell death in A. fumigatus. The development of NP, a potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial, is a significant breakthrough in the ongoing challenge against microbial foodborne illnesses and the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. This food-grade culture broth of Aspergillus oryzae demonstrates exceptional broad-spectrum efficacy against a variety of harmful bacteria and fungi, including drug-resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and prevalent food spoilage molds. NP exhibits strong bactericidal activity against various foodborne and ESKAPE pathogens, and strong antifungal activity against Penicillium species, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicans. The potent bactericidal and antifungal properties of NP are a result of its ability to disrupt microbial cell membranes leading to increased permeability. Furthermore, the genome-wide impact of NP on fungal gene expression and metabolic pathways underscores its comprehensive antimicrobial action, leading to transcriptomic and metabolic changes associated with cell death in A. fumigatus.

This work explored the polyvinyl alcohol/dialdehyde starch (DAS/PVA) films enriched by capsaicin (Cap) for use as antimicrobial and antioxidant food packaging. The microstructural, UV-shielding, antibacterial, mechanical and water barrier performances of dialdehyde starch/polyvinyl alcohol/capsaicin (DAS/PVA/Cap) films were comprehensively investigated. The results revealed that the capsaicin could be uniformly distributed into the DAS/PVA films to suppress bubble formation and enhance the tensile strength and the elongation at break (from 11.9 MPa to 17.27 MPa and from 269.7 MPa to 322.7 MPa). Moreover, the well distributed capsaicin endowed DAS/PVA film with excellent antimicrobial activity against both S. aureus (91.4 %) and E. coli (73.4 %). The developed DAS/PVA/Cap films were tested for packaging fresh-green grape to prevent microbial infection and prolong their shelf life. These results indicated that the capsaicin-enriched DAS/PVA films possess broad application prospects in fruit and vegetable packaging field.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted attention in the field of food preservatives due to their favorable biosafety and potential antimicrobial activity. However, high synthetic cost, systemic toxicity, a narrow antimicrobial spectrum, and poor antimicrobial activity become the main bottlenecks for their practical applications. To address these questions, a set of derived nonapeptides were designed based on a previously discovered ultra-short peptide sequence template (RXRXRXRXL-NH2) and screened to identify an optimal peptide-based food preservative with excellent antimicrobial properties. Among these nonapeptides, the designed peptides 3IW (RIRIRIRWL-NH2) and W2IW (RWRIRIRWL-NH2) presented a membrane-disruptive and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation mechanism to execute potent and rapid broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity without observed cytotoxicity. Moreover, they exhibited favorable antimicrobial stability regardless of high ionic strength, heat, and excessive acid-base conditions, retaining potent antimicrobial effects for chicken meat preservation. Collectively, their ultra-short sequence length and potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial capacity may be beneficial for the further development of green and safe peptide-based food preservatives.

Strawberries face significant post-harvest microbial spoilage risks due to high water and sugar content as well as low organic acid contents in their flesh. The study aimed to develop and characterize a novel strategy to delay microbiological spoilage in strawberries using single and co-encapsulation of curcumin (Cm) and quercetin (Q), creating stable nanoencapsulates specifically designed to target mold spores, vegetative fungi, and bacteria, with potential applications for both foodservice and consumer use. Using a layer-by-layer antisolvent method, nanoencapsulates of Cm and Q were synthesized, characterized, and assayed against both human and plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi in vitro and in situ. The nanoencapsulates formed stable, spherical emulsion droplets with monodisperse size distribution, high specific surface area, and moderately electro-positive ζ-potentials. Encapsulation efficiencies were 56% (Cm), 65% (Q), and 46.05±4.78% (Cm) and 53.68±4.83% (Q) for CmQ. The nanoencapsulated compounds exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Montevideo, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as well as Botrytis cinerea and Aspergillus niger spores in vitro. In strawberries, Cm and Q nanoencapsulates reduced decay incidence by 60% and 80% at 25°C and 4°C, respectively, significantly lowering aerobic bacteria by 3.55 ± 0.20 log CFU/g for Cm and 1.97 ± 0.35 log CFU/g for Q, respectively. Yeast and mold counts were likewise reduced by 2.46 ± 0.02 log CFU/g for Cm and 1.43 ± 0.16 log CFU/g for Q. Strawberry quality parameters (firmness, pH, and color) remained stable (P≥0.05) after five days at 25°C and 15 days at 4°C. This study highlights a sustainable and effective nanoencapsulation approach for extending microbiological shelf life of strawberries offering a promising opportunity in food preservation to mitigate spoilage and reduce post-harvest losses on perishable fruits and vegetables.

Growing evidence supports the efficacy of antimicrobial peptides against foodborne pathogens, though their antimicrobial spectrum and mechanism can vary depending on their origin. We investigated the antimicrobial spectrum of antimicrobial peptides derived from Lactobacillus paracasei A1, their effects on the survival rate and bactericidal mechanisms against Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and identified the functional short peptides within them. The crude extracts of antimicrobial peptides exhibited antibacterial properties against 13 pathogenic bacteria, showing strong inhibition of V. parahaemolyticus by disrupting the structural integrity of cell membranes. At minimum inhibitory concentrations, these peptides significantly disrupted the initial adhesion, membrane formation, and existing biofilms of V. parahaemolyticus, effectively inhibiting pathogen spread, enhancing the efficacy of antimicrobial agents, and reducing food safety risks. LC–MS/MS identification revealed four effective short peptides, all demonstrating potent bacteriostatic effects against V. parahaemolyticus. Our findings indicate that antimicrobial peptides can effectively destroy bacterial structures as well as the stability and regeneration of biofilms, making them promising candidates for use as food additives to control foodborne pathogens.

Bacterial spoilage of food products is regulated by density dependent communication system called quorum sensing (QS). QS control biofilm formation in numerous food pathogens and Biofilms formed on food surfaces act as carriers of bacterial contamination leading to spoilage of food and health hazards. Agents inhibiting or interfering with bacterial QS and biofilm are gaining importance as a novel class of next-generation food preservatives/packaging material. In the present study, Zinc nanostructures were synthesised using Nigella sativa seed extract (NS-ZnNPs). Synthesized nanostructures were characterized hexagonal wurtzite structure of size ~24 nm by UV-visible, XRD, FTIR and TEM. NS-ZnNPs demonstrated broad-spectrum QS inhibition in C. violaceum and P. aeruginosa biosensor strains. Synthesized nanostructures inhibited QS regulated functions of C. violaceum CVO26 (violacein) and elastase, protease, pyocyanin and alginate production in PAO1 significantly. NS-ZnNPs at sub-inhibitory concentrations inhibited the biofilm formation of four-food pathogens viz. C. violaceum 12472, PAO1, L. monocytogenes, E. coli. Moreover, NS-ZnNPs was found effective in inhibiting pre-formed mature biofilms of the four pathogens. Therefore, the broad-spectrum inhibition of QS and biofilm by biogenic Zinc oxide nanoparticles and it is envisaged that these nontoxic bioactive nanostructures can be used as food packaging material and/or as food preservative.

BACKGROUND Cinnamoyl esterase (CE) can release antioxidant phenolic acids from its non-digestible ester-linked form. Fermentation using CE-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can be useful in the food industry because of its ability to produce bioactive compounds and antibacterial metabolites. The purpose of this study was to confirm the food applicability of LAB with CE-producing ability and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. RESULTS Among the 219 bacterial strains identified in infant feces, 5 Lactobacillus gasseri and 6 Limosilactobacillus fermentum with a high CE activity were isolated. The survival rate of all selected LABs was >95% at pH 2.5 for 3 h and >70% when treated with 0.3% bile salt for 4 h. Moreover, cell-free supernatants of all strains strongly inhibited 5 food-borne bacterial pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus) and 3 toxin-producing fungal pathogens (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp., and Fusarium oxysporum). To improve phenolic acid content and rice bran preservation, L. fermentum J2 with the strongest CE activity and L. gasseri N2 with the strongest antibacterial activity were used in rice bran fermentation, respectively. FRB-J2 (fermented rice bran with L. fermentum J2) and FRB-N2 (fermented rice bran with L. gasseri N2) significantly increased caffeic acid and ferulic acid (p<0.01). FRB-J2 and FRB-N2 artificially inoculated with F. oxysporum showed no visible fungal growth during the test period (21 days). CONCLUSION Fermentation by L. fermentum J2 and L. gasseri N2 can help extend the shelf life of rice bran-based products and produce bioactive compounds. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

AIMS To address the increasingly serious challenge of the transmission of foodbrone pathogens in the food chain. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, we employed rational design strategies, including truncation, amino acid substitution, and heterozygosity, to generate seven engineered peptides with α-helical structure, cationic property, and amphipathic characteristics based on the original Abhisin template. Among them, as the hybird AMP, AM exhibits exceptional stability, minimal toxicity, as well as broad-spectrum and potent antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. Besides, it was observed that the electrostatic incorporation demonstrates by AM results in its primary targeting and disruption of the cell wall and membrane of Escherichia coli O157: H7 (EHEC) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), resulting in membrane perforation and enhanced permeability. Additionally, AM effectively counteracts the deleterious effects of LPS, eradicating biofilms and ultimately inducing the demise of both food spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the significant potential of AM as a highly promising candidate for a novel food preservative and its great importance in the design and optimization of AMP-related agents.

The objective of this study was to assess the extraction and characterization of chitin and Crustacean chitosan (CS) from the exoskeletons of the shrimp Farfantepenaeus californiensis (F. californiensis) as a new source to develop polymeric films for food packaging applications. The results suggested that chitin and CS presented an extraction performance of 29.33% and 16.46%, respectively. The resulting CS was of low molecular weight and showed a deacetylation degree of 80.23%. Moreover, the CS films were fabricated using glycerol to plasticize, presenting effective mechanical, optical, and thermal performance; as well as water/humidity stability. The active properties highlighted broad‐spectrum inhibitory action against bacterial models associated with food degradation and human infection. The present investigation suggested the potential benefits of using the exoskeletons of F. californiensis as an alternative source for reducing waste generation and fabricating food packaging materials.

ABSTRACT This study describes the discovery and characterization of raffinocyclicin, a novel plasmid-encoded circular bacteriocin, produced by the raw milk isolate Lactococcus raffinolactis APC 3967. This bacteriocin has a molecular mass of 6,092 Da and contains 61 amino acids with a three-amino acid leader peptide. It shows the highest identity to the circular bacteriocins bacicyclicin XIN-1 (42.62%), aureocyclicin 4185 (42.62%), and garvicin ML (41.53%). A broad inhibitory spectrum includes strains from Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Micrococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Listeria, in addition to a pronounced inhibitory effect against Lactococcus and Clostridium. It displays low sensitivity to trypsin, most likely as a result of its circular nature. The raffinocyclicin gene cluster is composed of 10 genes: 6 core genes, genes encoding an accessory three-component ABC transporter (rafCDE), and a putative transcriptional regulator related to the MutR family. A lack of inhibitory activity in the cell-free supernatant combined with the pronounced activity of cell extracts suggests that the majority of raffinocyclicin is associated with the cell rather than being released to the extracellular environment. This is the first report of a bacteriocin produced by the L. raffinolactis species. IMPORTANCE The present study aimed to characterize raffinocyclicin, a novel circular bacteriocin produced by the lactic acid bacteria Lactococcus raffinolactis APC 3967. Bacteriocins are generally cationic and hydrophobic peptides with antimicrobial activity, which present diverse biotechnological properties of interest for the food industry. Raffinocyclicin inhibits a wide range of bacteria, including foodborne pathogens, and is stable against different treatments which suggest its potential as a natural biopreservative. Whole-genome sequencing and the genetic analysis of the raffinocyclicin gene cluster showed that it is encoded by plasmid that could be used in the future to transfer the ability to produce the bacteriocin to other lactic acid bacteria for industrial applications. These results together highlight the potential of this novel antimicrobial as a biopreservative to be used by the food industry. The present study aimed to characterize raffinocyclicin, a novel circular bacteriocin produced by the lactic acid bacteria Lactococcus raffinolactis APC 3967. Bacteriocins are generally cationic and hydrophobic peptides with antimicrobial activity, which present diverse biotechnological properties of interest for the food industry. Raffinocyclicin inhibits a wide range of bacteria, including foodborne pathogens, and is stable against different treatments which suggest its potential as a natural biopreservative. Whole-genome sequencing and the genetic analysis of the raffinocyclicin gene cluster showed that it is encoded by plasmid that could be used in the future to transfer the ability to produce the bacteriocin to other lactic acid bacteria for industrial applications. These results together highlight the potential of this novel antimicrobial as a biopreservative to be used by the food industry.

The primary objective of this study was to improve our understanding of the antimicrobial mechanism of protein-derived peptides and to provide evidence for protein-derived peptides as food bio-preservatives by examining the antimicrobial activities, low cytotoxicity, stabilities, and mechanism of Cp1 (LRLKKYKVPQL). In this study, the protein-derived peptide Cp1 was synthesized from bovine αS1-casein, and its potential use as a food biopreservative was indicated by the higher cell selectivity shown by 11-residue peptide towards bacterial cells than human RBCs. It also showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 64–640 μM against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The peptide had low hemolytic activity (23.54%, 512 μM) as well as cytotoxicity. The results of fluorescence spectroscopy, flow cytometry, and electron microscopy experiments indicated that Cp1 exerted its activity by permeabilizing the microbial membrane and destroying cell membrane integrity. We found that Cp1 had broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, low hemolytic activity, and cytotoxicity. The results also revealed that Cp1 could cause cell death by permeabilizing the cell membrane and disrupting membrane integrity. Overall, the findings presented in this study improve our understanding of the antimicrobial potency of Cp1 and provided evidence of the antimicrobial mechanisms of Cp1. The peptide Cp1 could have potential applications as a food biopreservative.

The continuing emergence and development of pathogenic microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics constitute an increasing global concern, and the effort in new antimicrobials discovery will remain relevant until a lasting solution is found. A new bacterial strain, designated JFL21, was isolated from seafood and identified as B. amyloliquefaciens. The antimicrobial substance produced by B. amyloliquefaciens JFL21 showed low toxicity to most probiotics but exhibited strong antimicrobial activities against multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens. The partially purified antimicrobial substance, Anti-JFL21, was characterized to be a multiple lipopeptides mixture comprising the families of surfactin, fengycin, and iturin. Compared with commercially available polymyxin B and Nisin, Anti-JFL21 not only could exhibit a wider and stronger antibacterial activity toward Gram-positive pathogens but also inhibit the growth of a majority of fungal pathogens. After further separation through gel filtration chromatography (GFC), the family of surfactin, fengycin, and iturin were obtained, respectively. The results of the antimicrobial test pointed out that only fengycin family presented marked antimicrobial properties against the indicators of L. monocytogenes, A. hydrophila, and C. gloeosporioides, which demonstrated that fengycins might play a major role in the antibacterial and antifungal activity of Anti-JFL21. Additionally, the current study also showed that the fengycins produced by B. amyloliquefaciens JFL21 not only maintained stable anti-Listeria activity over a broad pH and temperature range, but also remained active after treatment with ultraviolet sterilization, chemical reagents, and proteolytic enzymes. Therefore, the results of this study suggest the new strain and its antimicrobials are potentially useful in food preservation for the biological control of the multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens.

Abstract Food safety and quality deterioration caused by spoilage microorganisms remains a critical global issue, with serious health and economic implications. This study was aimed at assessing the antimicrobial properties of Ethiopian ginger (Zingiber officinale) genotypes and the effect of drying methods on their efficacy against food pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Four ginger genotypes (Boziab, Volvo, Local, and Candidate-19) were subjected to four drying methods: fluid bed, oven, solar, and sun. Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus niger were tested by using standard microbiological methods. Among the genotypes, Volvo dried by using a fluid bed dryer exhibited the highest antimicrobial effect against the gram-negative bacterium E. coli at a concentration of 10 mg/mL. Fluid bed dried Boziab demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against S. typhi and A. niger. Boziab from the solar dryer showed highest value against S. aureus and with lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). These findings highlight the effect of drying and antimicrobial potential of Ethiopian ginger as a promising for improving food preservation. Further research is recommended to optimize extraction techniques and explore the integration of Ethiopian ginger extracts into food preservation systems to mitigate microbial spoilage.

Oil‐in‐water microemulsions have budding interest as delivery agents of lipophilic bioactive components in the food industry due to small droplet size and optical transparency. Microemulsion was prepared using basil essential oil, polysorbate 20 and water by stirring at 400 rpm (low energy emulsification method). Microemulsion droplet size decreased when the surfactant concentration was increased. As the concentration of surfactant increased, a decrease in the droplet size was recorded, that is, 73, 36, 25, and 11 nm for BF2, BF3, BF4 and BF5 respectively. However, the trend reversed for optical transparency and viscosity. The droplet diameter of the optimised BF5 formulation was found to be 11 nm with spherical morphology. All the microemulsion formulations were thermodynamically stable, but the BF5 formulation showed marvellous kinetic stability for more than 210 days. The optimised basil oil microemulsion BF5 formulation demonstrated dose and time‐dependent bactericidal efficacy against Bacillus cereus . Ten‐fold diluted BF5 microemulsion caused total loss of viability in 40 and 50 min respectively. Incubation with 100‐fold dilution of BF5 microemulsion showed 20%, 36%, 45% and 61% inactivation of B. cereus in 10, 20, 30 and 40 min correspondingly. Higher dilutions (1000‐fold) of BF5 also demonstrated significant bactericidal activity. Approximately 60% bacterial cell killing was detected in 50 min of exposure to 1000‐fold dilution of BF5 microemulsion. Alteration in bacterial membrane permeability upon microemulsion treatment was suggested by measuring 260 nm absorbing materials leakage. Further this microemulsion can be used as an antibacterial agent for food preservation.

No abstract available

The purpose of this study was to design a novel antioxidant and antibacterial film for food packaging using food-grade raw materials. The films were designed and fabricated based on carboxymethyl chitosan and pectin incorporated with procyanidins (PCs) and phycocyanin (Phy) by the tape casting method. The effects of different proportions of PCs and Phy on the properties and functions of the prepared films were studied. The results showed that the thickness of films could range from 55 to 70 μm, with dense network structure and uniform distribution of elements. Compared with C-Film group, the film loaded with PCs and Phy had lower water solubility and swelling rate, and higher tensile strength and elongation at break. FITR and XRD spectra revealed the molecular interaction mechanism among carboxymethyl chitosan, pectin, PCs and Phy, which could effectively endow the films with ultraviolet barrier properties. Moreover, the addition of PCs and Phy could effectively improve the antioxidant capacity and antibacterial effect of films, for example, the free radical scavenging abilities of most films were above 80% when the concentration of PCs was 40 μg mL−1. In view of these functional properties, the prepared film containing PCs and Phy have been successfully used in food packaging, which was proved by the preservation experiment of grapes. This study can provide theoretical and technical guidance for the preparation of biodegradable antibacterial films, and their application in the food packaging field.

The polysaccharides are abundant in nature and are typically considered harmless. They can be chemically modified to exhibit a diverse range of fluorescent behaviors. Moreover, these characteristics render polysaccharides particularly promising future for the development of environmentally friendly materials, such as chemical sensors. In this study, a chitosan-based dual-mode sensor (CS-DAS) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties was designed for both fluorometric and colorimetric detection of nitrite. The unique AIE property of CS-DAS enables enhanced fluorescence in aggregated states, overcoming conventional quenching limitations. CS-DAS also showed high selectivity and sensitivity for nitrite detection. By fluorescence and colorimetry, the limits of detection were calculated to be 0.021 μM (1.45 mg/kg) and 0.027 μM (1.86 mg/kg), respectively. This sensor was successfully utilized for the detection of nitrite in sausage samples. Additionally, it exhibited significant antibacterial activity against typical Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, CS-DAS showed low cytotoxicity, demonstrating its potential as an excellent fluorescent probe for cell imaging applications.

Few natural, biocompatible, and inexpensive emulsifiers are available because such emulsifiers must satisfy severe requirements, be produced synthetically rather than naturally, be nontoxic, and require minimal effort to produce. Therefore, the synthesis of food-grade and biocompatible nanoparticles as an alternative to surfactants has recently received attention in the industry. However, many previous efforts involved chemical modification of materials or the introduction of secondary cocomponents for emulsion formation. To achieve the goal of simple preparation, we consider here chitosan nanoparticles to prepare Pickering emulsions of food-grade oil through the control of pH, without further chemical modification or extra additives. A mild process can prepare nanoparticles from chitosan by simply increasing the pH from 3.0 to 6.0. The results showed that the average radius of chitosan at pH 6.0 was 170 nm, while large aggregates were formed at pH 6.5. These nanoparticles were utilized to prepare the Pickering emulsion. The average size of emulsion droplets decreased upon increasing the pH from 3.0 to 6.0. Moreover, Pickering emulsions at different oil fractions and nanoparticle concentrations were stable and showed a low creaming index for 45 days. The emulsions were stable against coalescence and flocculation and behaved rheologically as gel-like, shear-thinning fluids (G′ > G″). Pickering emulsion prevents the growth of the microorganism (Staphylococcus aureus) at different pH values and chitosan concentrations. These results demonstrate that chitosan nanoparticles could be a cost-effective and biocompatible emulsifier for the food or pharmaceutical industry for encapsulation and bioactive compounds, and Pickering emulsions have promising antibacterial effects for further applications.

Abstract The antibacterial peptide of Bacillus licheniformis MCC 2016 have potential biopreservative efficacy. Here, we report the purification process, properties, and mode of action of this antibacterial peptide for its potential application in the food industry. The antibacterial peptide from the cell-free supernatant was purified using a sequence of purification steps. The purified antibacterial peptide showed a specific activity of 68817 AU mg−1 and 0.4% yield. Liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis showed an mz−1 value of 279.28 for the active peptide. The SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed the antibacterial peptide is low-molecular weight and the size is between 3.0 and 3.5 kDa. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, β-gal induction assay and release of UV-absorbing materials indicated that the antibacterial peptide targets the cell wall of pathogens. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the antibacterial peptide against Listeria monocytogenes Scott A and others (Kocuria rhizophila ATCC 9341, Staphylococcus aureus FRI 722 and Salmonella typhimurium MTCC 1251) was found to be 1600 and 800 AU mL−1, respectively. The antibacterial peptide is temperature and pH stable, proteolytic-enzyme-sensitive, low-molecular weight, cell wall active class I bacteriocin and exhibits remarkable antibacterial activity against pathogens, suggesting its application as a potential biopreservative in the food industry.

This study aimed to design an innovative antioxidant and antibacterial film for functional and health-promoting food packaging materials using food-grade polysaccharides incorporated with polyphenol-rich roselle leaf extracts (RLE). The films were fabricated using the casting method of pectin (P), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC), and RLE. Six sets of films; 3 control films such as pectin (P-0), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC-0), pectin plus carboxymethyl chitosan (PCMC-0), and 3 treated films such as pectin (PR-3), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCR-3), (PCMCR-3) with 3 % RLE were prepared respectively to study the effects of RLE on the properties and function of prepared films. The water vapor permeability of the films ranged from 4.16 ± 0.04 g mm/h·m2·kPa to 6.93 ± 0.07 g mm/h·m2·kPa, with RLE-incorporated samples exhibiting lower permeability than the control sample. The maximum tensile strength (53.00 ± 1.07 MPa) and elongation of break (85.83 ± 2.81 %) were observed at PCMCR-3 containing 3 % RLE. The highest water contact angle (109.4 ± 0.16) was also noted in the PCMCR-3 film. The incorporation of RLE decreased the roughness of the film microstructure. The addition of RLE film CMC-R and PCMCR-3 notably enhanced the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the edible film. Overall, the PCMCR-3 films extended the shelf life of fresh fish preserved at 4 ± 1 °C, offering promising innovative food preservation packaging materials for preserving perishable food products.

Edible film is a thin layer made from consumable materials, formed on top of or placed between food components, functioning as a barrier to mass transfer such as moisture, oxygen, and solutes. It is made from edible biopolymers and food-grade additives. The development of edible film packaging in this study was carried out by utilizing pumpkin skin and seeds that have not been adequately used and by exploring the addition of natural antimicrobial compounds, namely antanan and badotan, to enhance the inhibitory effect of edible films made from pumpkin seeds that meet food standards.In this study, the extraction of yellow pumpkin seeds, antanan, and badotan was performed, followed by organoleptic and phytochemical tests. An edible film formulation was made from yellow pumpkin seeds, varied with antanan and badotan, and tested for moisture content, solubility, pH, and antibacterial properties. The characteristic test results showed that the badotan leaf simplicia was dark green, with a bitter taste and an astringent aromatic odor typical of badotan. The extract was blackish-green in color, with an aromatic odor typical of badotan, and a very bitter taste. Antanan leaf simplicia had a typical aromatic odor, an astringent taste, and was solid green in color. The antanan leaf extract had a typical antanan odor, a very bitter taste, and was thick green in color. Pumpkin seed simplicia had a typical pumpkin smell, an astringent taste, and was thick green in color. The pumpkin seed extract had a smell of ethanol solvent, a bitter taste, and was brownish-green and in the form of a thick liquid. The potential bioactive compounds in badotan leaves included alkaloids, steroids, phenolics, and saponins. Antanan leaves and pumpkin seeds contained flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, phenolics, and saponins. The results showed that the edible film formulation of pumpkin seeds combined with badotan and antanan (1:2) appeared tighter and smoother and did not break. The formulation of pumpkin seeds and badotan (1:2) had a moisture content of 0.0380%, a solubility content of 0.2075%, and a pH of 5.8. The pumpkin seed and antanan (1:2) formulation had a moisture content of 0.0732%, a solubility content of 5.7269%, and a pH of 5.8. The edible film antibacterial activity test against Staphylococcus aureus used the disc diffusion method and obtained an inhibition zone of 1.8 mm for pumpkin seed edible film, 12.4 mm for pumpkin seed (1:2) edible film, and 17.6 mm for pumpkin seed (1:2) edible film.

To decrease the incidence of coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus (CPSA) in chicken meat, chitosan-based films incorporated with carvacrol nano-emulsion (Ch-CNE) and rosemary nano-emulsion (Ch-RNE) were used as an ideal solution to build effective antibacterial food packaging. CPSA was isolated from fresh and frozen chicken meat by using selective media. The prepared nano-emulsions were characterised using a zeta-sizer, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and investigated for anti-CPSA activity by the agar diffusion method. The filmogenic mixture was prepared at 0.78% and 1.56% concentrations and then cast, dried, and assessed for physical and mechanical properties. CPSA was isolated from fresh and frozen chicken meat in percentages of 40% and 12%, respectively. The droplet sizes of the CNE and RNE were 54.56 and 44.98 nm, respectively, whereas those by TEM were spherically shaped with average sizes of 40.33 and 48.78 nm and polydispersity indices (PDI) of 0.32 and 0.21, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of both nano-emulsions against CPSA were 0.78% and 1.56%. Incorporated nano-emulsions with chitosan-based films did not cause a great change in the film appearance and transparency except for Ch-CNE films at 1.56%, which was significantly different in comparison with the control, and enhanced the light barrier property. Additionally, it caused significantly improved changes to the film including physical (water resistance and water vapour permeabi­lity) and mechanical (tensile strength and elongation at break) properties and significantly eradicated the CPSA inoculated in chicken meat (6 log10 CFU/cm2) on the 4th day of refrigerated storage (4±1 °C) with good organoleptic properties for 12 days. The Ch-CNE at concentration 1.56% could be considered a promising antimicrobial food packaging material with considerable beneficial packaging properties, substantial inhibition of foodborne pathogen growth, and extension of food shelf life

BACKGROUND The current study aimed to prepare antimicrobial agents for food preservation from crude cheese whey. Crude cheese whey was digested with porcine pepsin, and calf and fungal rennets at various pHs. The digests were assessed for antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. RESULTS The calf rennet digest at pH 3.0 showed the highest antibacterial activity. Three antibacterial peptides that acted against B. subtilis lactoferrin f(20-30), and β-lactoglobulin f(14-22) and f(92-103) were identified in the calf rennet digest. Only lactoferrin f(20-30) also exerted bactericidal activity against E. coli. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that the three peptides were generated by the porcine pepsin at pH 2.5, whereas the calf rennet generated them at a wider pH (pH 2.5-3.5). Fungal rennet generated only β-lactoglobulin f14-22 at pH 3.5. The pepsin and calf rennet digests at pH 2.5 and 3.0, respectively, reduced the E. coli and B. subtilis populations by approximately 2 log at 6000 µg mL-1 in milk at 4 °C. CONCLUSION The calf rennet and porcine pepsin digests of cheese whey, at a specific acidic pH, which can be prepared from food-grade materials, have the potential to be used as natural food preservatives due to the presence of the three antibacterial peptides. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

In order to achieve high-value utilization of chestnut burr resources and develop novel food-active packaging materials, this study employed a green and sustainable method to extract polyphenols from chestnut burrs and incorporated them as functional components into chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA) bio-based films. The propose of the study was to prepare two chestnut burr extracts with high polyphenol content: ice-water bath extract (CBEI, rich in gallic acid) and alkaline water ultrasonic extract (CBEA, rich in ellagic acid). Both extracts were incorporated into CS/PVA composite films at varying concentrations (1%, 5%, 10%), systematically investigating their effects on film color, thermal stability, barrier properties, mechanical properties, and bioactivity. Results demonstrated significantly enhanced physical, barrier, and mechanical properties of the composite films, with tensile strength reaching up to 9.29 MPa and elongation at break up to 293.76%, primarily attributed to the formation of a hydrogen-bonded dual-network structure. Additionally, the films exhibited outstanding antioxidant and antibacterial activity. In grape preservation experiments, films containing 10% CBEA (CPCA-3) effectively inhibited grape spoilage and significantly extended shelf life. This study provides a sustainable strategy for the stepwise extraction and high-value utilization of chestnut burr, laying the theoretical and technical foundation for developing CS/PVA active food packaging materials based on chestnut burr extracts.

In the technology for extracting the required components from plant raw materials, in most cases, the grinding process is used as a preparatory operation before the main process, followed by the separation of the extracted material into target components.In most cases, as a result of such a process, we can talk about the effective extraction of only a single target component, while others inevitably lose their qualitative and quantitative indicators, which is due to the morphology of the plant raw material.One of the promising directions in the processes of destruction of plant material for further operations is selective disintegration. For this purpose optimal process conditions have been selected, such as heating, freezing and others. Raw materials obtained as a result of selective destruction can be effectively fractionated according to morphological and physicochemical characteristics, and only after that can be sent to subsequent operations with the greatest efficiency.Under modern conditions, the loss of essential oil in coriander associated with splitting the fruit reaches 23.4% of the oil weight in whole fruits. At the same time, the essential oil from split fruits is enriched with valuable components – linalool, geraniol, geranyl acetate and, in addition, contains less hydrocarbons and camphor. As shown in [1], oil from split fruits can be used to adjust the composition of batches of coriander essential oil in order to increase the content of linalool while simultaneously reducing the content of undesirable components – hydrocarbons and camphor, and can also be used primarily to isolate valuable components – linalool, geraniol. To reduce losses associated with splitting coriander fruits, it has been proposed to carry out mathematical modeling of the process of cryogenic freezing with subsequent grinding of the frozen mass, which will significantly reduce losses of essential oil. Considering that essential oils extracted from coriander show high antibacterial, antioxidant and antifungal activity [2], increasing the yield of high-quality coriander essential oil will allow its wider use in flavoring and food preservation, as well as for medicinal purposes, which is important and actual task.

In this study, a composite film was created with the dual goal of prolonging pork shelf life and showing freshness. Hydrogel materials as solid base films were selected from gelatin (G), sodium alginate (SA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based on their antioxidant activity, water vapor permeability, mechanical properties, as well as their stability, antimicrobial activity, and freshness, which indicates effectiveness when combined with anthocyanins. Furthermore, the effects of several concentrations of red cabbage anthocyanin (R) (3%, 6%, 12%, and 24%) on freshness indicators and bacteriostasis were investigated. The antimicrobial activity of the composite films was evaluated against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Likewise, the freshness indicates effectiveness was evaluated for NH3. Considering the mechanical properties, antibacterial ability, freshness indicator effect, and stability of the composite film, CS film combined with 12% R was selected to prepare a dual-functional intelligent film for pork freshness indicator and preservation. By thoroughly investigating the effect of composite film on pork conservation and combining with it KNN, the discriminative model of pork freshness grade was established and the recognition rate of the prediction set was up to 93.3%. These results indicated that CSR film can be used for the creation of active food packaging materials.

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs), which constitute 75% of original coffee beans, represent an integral part of sustainability. Contamination by toxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins is a hazard that threatens food production. This investigation aimed to examine SCGs extract as antimycotic and anti-ochratoxigenic material. The SCGs were extracted in an eco-friendly way using isopropanol. Bioactive molecules of the extract were determined using the UPLC apparatus. The cytotoxicity on liver cancer cells (Hep-G2) showed moderate activity with selectivity compared with human healthy oral epithelial (OEC) cell lines but still lower than the positive control (Cisplatin). The antibacterial properties were examined against pathogenic strains, and the antifungal was examined against toxigenic fungi using two diffusion assays. Extract potency was investigated by two simulated models, a liquid medium and a food model. The results of the extract showed 15 phenolic acids and 8 flavonoids. Rosmarinic and syringic acids were the most abundant phenolic acids, while apigenin-7-glucoside, naringin, epicatechin, and catechin were the predominant flavonoids in the SCGs extract. The results reflected the degradation efficiency of the extract against the growth of Aspergillus strains. The SCGs recorded detoxification in liquid media for aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OCA). The incubation time of the extract within dough spiked with OCA was affected up to 2 h, where cooking was not affected. Therefore, SCGs in food products could be applied to reduce the mycotoxin contamination of raw materials to the acceptable regulated limits.

In this study, propolis additives provide antibacterial and antifungal effects that prolong the product’s shelf life. The aim of the study is to obtain homogeneous fiber membranes of polyvinyl alcohol and propolis by the electrospinning method and to evaluate their suitability for food packaging. Three propolis extracts are used in the study—water, ethyl alcohol, and glycerin-based. The membranes’ morphology and fiber diameter distribution, tensile deformation, air permeability, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and microbiological tests (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli) were analyzed for electrospun samples. The results of the study show that propolis extracts are incorporated into membranes and the additive provides an antimicrobial effect with the contact surface. The obtained membranes are breathable: gas exchange can be controlled by using a material of appropriate thickness (air permeability coefficient is 0.046 and 0.276 mm/s). The mechanical properties of membranes are affected by moisture, but tensile strength can be improved with thermal post-processing at 100 °C. The propolis-containing fibers’ diameters are from 293 ± 8 to 664 ± 11 nm. Depending on membranes’ demonstrated properties, it can be concluded that the composites have the potential to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits and berries.

Biobased plastics provide a sustainable alternative to conventional food packaging materials, thereby reducing the environmental impact. The present study investigated the effectiveness of chitosan with varying levels of Moringa oleifera seed powder (MOSP) and tannic acid (TA). Chitosan (CS) biocomposite films with tannic acid acted as a cross-linker, and Moringa oleifera seed powder served as reinforcement. To enhance food packaging and film performance, Moringa oleifera seed powder was introduced at various loadings of 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 10.0 wt.%. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy analyses were performed to study the structure and morphology of the CS/TA/MOSP films. The scanning electron microscopy results confirmed that chitosan/TA with 10.0 wt.% of MOSP produced a lightly miscible droplet/matrix structure. Furthermore, mechanical properties, swelling, water solubility, optical barrier, and water contact angle properties of the film were also calculated. With increasing Moringa oleifera seed powder contents, the biocomposite films’ antimicrobial and antifungal activity increased at the 10.0 wt.% MOSP level; all of the observed bacteria [Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Aspergillus niger (A. niger), and Candida albicans (C. albicans)] had a notably increased percentage of growth. The film, with 10.0 wt.% MOSP content, effectively preserves strawberries’ freshness, making it an ideal food packaging material.

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This study evaluated the effects of star anise (Illicium verum) essential oil (SAEO) on the properties of chitosan-based films and its potential as an antimicrobial and natural insecticidal agent. Star anise essential oil was inclusion at varying concentrations (30-150 ppm), with Tween 80 (0.1-0.5 %) used as a surfactant. The chitosan-SAEO films were characterized by reduced moisture content, water solubility, and water vapor permeability (p < 0.05) compared to the control (without SAEO and Tween 80) film. Additionally, the inclusion of 0.5 % Tween 80 significantly improved the film's moisture retention and water barrier properties (p < 0.05). Films with higher concentrations of SAEO demonstrated increased contact toxicity (97.33 %), repellent effects (97 %), and smoke toxicity (100 %) against Sitophilus oryzae, measured 48 h post-treatment. The chitosan-SAEO film exhibited inhibitory effects against plant pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas syringae, Pectobacterium carotovorum, Xanthomonas campestris) and plant pathogenic fungi (Alternaria alternata, Rhizopus stolonifer, and Botrytis cinerea), highlighting SAEO's potential as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. The combination of chitosan and SAEO had a significant impact on insect antioxidant and detoxification enzymes, including acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). These findings suggest that chitosan-SAEO films hold strong potential as multifunctional bioactive packaging materials, and future studies should focus on their real-world application in agricultural and food storage environments.

In recent years, concerns about food safety and the search for natural alternatives for food preservation have driven research and the development of new antimicrobial materials. In this context, this study aimed to develop yam‐based films with chitosan and cinnamon essential oil (CEO). The developed films were characterized in terms of mechanical properties, moisture content, water solubility, barrier properties, contact angle, scanning electron microscopy, optical properties and antimicrobial activity. Finally, they were used to evaluate antifungal activity in strawberries. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design with seven treatments and three replicates, totalling 21 experimental units. The developed films exhibited desirable characteristics, being homogeneous, thin and flexible, with thicknesses ranging from 0.084 to 0.176 mm. Yam starch‐based films showed the highest maximum tensile strength (20.3 MPa), while the incorporation of CEO and chitosan resulted in a significant decrease, with values ranging from 4.09 to 7.71 MPa. Elongation at break increased from 2.37% (yam) to 49.29% (yam/CH), indicating improved flexibility. The results showed that the film containing yam starch, chitosan, and 1% CEO exhibited the best performance, with a WVP of 4.01 g·mm·m−2·day−1·kPa−1. The highest hydrophobicity was observed for the yam‐based film and the yam/chitosan film. In the antimicrobial activity evaluation, Escherichia coli was susceptible to the yam/CEO2% film, while Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated sensitivity to the yam/CEO2% and yam/CEO1% films. During strawberry storage, the films containing CEO and chitosan effectively delayed fungal growth for up to 7 days compared to the control group. These results suggest that these films could be a promising alternative for food preservation, although it is important to consider the characteristic odour of CEO, which may affect the sensory acceptance of packaged foods.

Neem (Azadirachta indica) belongs to mahogany family Meliaceae. It is a traditional medicine used in India. Each part of the tree is used in development of many products such as antifungal, anthelmintic, anti diabetic, antiviral, antibacterial, sedative, contraceptive and others. Present work unveils biopolymer properties of Neem leaf extract (NLE) and their tensile properties for the food packaging applications. In this study, Neem leaves were collected and poured in boiling water (1:10) and crude extract of Neem obtained was then cooled and reconciled for 24hrs, constituents such as glycerol, glucose, agar and Gelatin were added and further, heated for about 20 minutes at 60° C of temperature. A biopolymer based plastic formation was observed after 48 hrs of incubation at room temperature. The biopolymer was found to be green in colour and there was no fungal or bacterial growth was observed on the bio polymeric film, indicated its medicinal and aseptic properties. Since, micro tensile test was carried out for the developed polymeric film. However, its strength was relatively weaker than bioplastic material, but requires significantly less energy for its development. Hence, further rigorous research work has to be carried out to improve its strength properties to use them as a suitable packaging material and could be potential biomaterials to replace the conventional plastic.

Active packaging films have been an essential component in food material research to ensure the safe and efficient preservation of food, fruit, and vegetables. The shelf life of fruits and vegetables may likely be extended by covering them with high-performance nanofiber (NF) films. The selection of materials for active packaging film has been a critical factor in preventing food materials from environmental contaminants (microbes) and extending the shelf life. This study aims to develop NF-based materials for cherry tomatoes to prevent fungal and bacterial damage. Bioactive NFs were produced through an electrospinning process using tannic acid (TA) within a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) template. These NFs offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic packaging for food preservation. TA was incorporated into the PVDF matrix at varying concentrations (0.4 to 1.2%). Key parameters, including moisture content, thickness, opacity, water-contact angle, and thermal shrinkage, were assessed. The physicochemical results indicate that the TA NFs are suitable for further shelf-life performance evaluations. The antifungal and antibiofilm activity of the NFs was tested, showing that the TA1.2 in the PVDF matrix was more effective than other concentrations. Shelf-life tests demonstrated that cherry tomatoes covered with TA1.2 NFs showed no surface changes for up to 4 days. Importantly, the NFs were confirmed to be non-toxic to normal cells, as evidenced by tests on mouse 3T3-L1 fibroblast cells. In summary, we have developed bioactive NFs composed of TA in a PVDF matrix that enhance the shelf life of cherry tomatoes by preventing bacterial and fungal attacks on the fruit surfaces.

No abstract available

The viability of SARS-CoV-2 on food surfaces and its propagation through the food chain has been discussed by several stakeholders, as it may represent a serious public health problem, bringing new challenges to the food system. This work shows for the first time that edible films can be used against SARS-CoV-2. Sodium alginate-based films containing gallic acid, geraniol, and green tea extract were evaluated in terms of their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that all these films have strong in vitro antiviral activity against this virus. However, a higher concentration of the active compound (1.25%) is needed for the film containing gallic acid to achieve similar results to those obtained for lower concentrations of geraniol and green tea extract (0.313%). Furthermore, critical concentrations of the active compounds in the films were used to evaluate their stability during storage. Results showed that gallic acid-loaded films lose their activity from the second week of storage, while films with geraniol and green tea extract only show a drop in activity after four weeks. These results highlight the possibility of using edible films and coatings as antiviral materials on food surfaces or food contact materials, which may help to reduce the spreading of viruses through the food chain.

No abstract available

Food products have a limited shelf life, which remains a major challenge for the food industry. Active packaging with antimicrobial additives extends shelf life and prevents spoilage. This research tested two hypotheses: 1) ultrasonic treatment affects polymer blends based on thermoplastic polyolefins (polyethylene, polypropylene) dispersed with botulin; 2) their structural and antimicrobial properties depend on the formulation and processing parameters. The study featured polyolefin-based films (polyethylene and polypropylene), as well as polymer composites based on polyolefins and betulin. The melts of these composites were ultrasonicated during casting using a flat-die extruder (MashPlast, Russia). The structural and morphological properties of these composites were determined using a JSM-7500F scanning electron microscope (JEOL, Japan); their thermophysical properties were tested using a DSC 204 F1 calorimeter (NETZSCH, Germany). The chemical investigation relied on IR spectroscopy in an FSM-1201 device (Infraspek, Russia) with an NTR attachment. The strain and strength properties were measured on a Z010 tensile tester (ZwickRoell, Germany). The antimicrobial experiment involved the disk diffusion method. Ultrasonic vibrations were effective when the betulin content in the polyolefin blends exceeded 6 wt.%. This process provided targeted dispersion of agglomerated betulin particles od minimal size. It resulted in a homogeneous distribution of polyolefin blends during polymerization. The ultrasonic treatment slowed down the decline in strain and strength properties. The increased interfacial interaction between the polyolefins and betulin was due to the development of polar functional carboxyl and carbonyl groups during processing. Ultrasonication affected neither processing temperatures nor extrusion performance, which makes the method ergonomical and cost-effective. This research confirmed the positive antimicrobial effect of ultrasonicated polymer composites based on polyolefins dispersed with botulin. The growth inhibition coefficient for test microorganisms increased by 1.5 times, compared to the original polymer composites. For the polypropylene-based polymer composites, it was higher than for polyethylene-based ones. This phenomenon could be explained by the chemical structure of the original polyolefins. This coefficient also inhibited Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, it failed to inhibit Escherichia coli, rendering betulin unsuitable as an antimicrobial additive for this group of microorganisms. In general, the ultrasonic modification of polyolefin-based polymer composites blended with betulin showed good prospects as a component in new active food films.

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In this study, aerogels were developed from low-acyl gellan gum (LAGG) and aloe vera gel (AVG) through a centered composite design to increase their structural and antimicrobial performance for food packaging applications. The effects of pH (1, 4, and 7), the LAGG/AVG ratio (66/33, 50/50, and 33/66), and the solid content (0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 % w/v) were evaluated. The optimal formulation, pH 1, 66/33 LAGG/AVG ratio, and 0.75 % v/w solids, presented low volumetric shrinkage (30.9 %), high porosity (90 %), low density (0.030 g/cm3), high hardness (4.1 N), and thermal stability, with glass transition (Tg) and melting (Tm) temperatures of 54.4 °C and 74.3 °C, respectively. Eugenol-loaded aerogels based on this formulation effectively inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus after 60 and 40 min, respectively, via headspace release over agar plates without direct contact. These findings support the potential of LAGG-AVG aerogels as natural polymer-based carriers for volatile antimicrobial agents in active packaging systems.

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Biodegradable polymeric materials with antimicrobial functionality are increasingly explored as sustainable alternatives for food packaging. This study developed multifunctional PLA-based composite films containing controlled concentrations of active agents and evaluated their structural, mechanical, thermal, and antimicrobial properties. Five formulations were prepared: a reference PLA/glycerol diacetate blend (85/15 wt. %) and four composites with 0.5 wt. % functional fillers—grape pomace, silver–graphene oxide (GO-Ag), titanium dioxide–graphene oxide (GO-TiO2), or graphene oxide (GO)—with PLA adjusted to 84.5 wt. %. The films were characterized for antimicrobial activity, tensile strength, hardness (Vickers test), morphology (SEM), and thermal behavior (DSC). Mechanical testing revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05), with Vickers hardness increasing from neat PLA (13.77) to 0.5% grape pomace (16.30) and nanofiller composites (GO–Ag 18.59, GO 19.56, GO–TiO2 22.7), demonstrating enhanced stiffness and efficient load transfer. Incorporation of Ag and TiO2 shifted endothermic transitions to higher temperatures, particularly in PLA-GT (~140 °C), indicating improved thermal stability, while neat PLA and PLA-GP showed multiple or intermediate transitions (86–92 °C). Antibacterial performance was strongly influenced by composition and surface characteristics, with PLA-GA, PLA-GT, and PLA-GO showing the greatest efficacy. These findings demonstrate that bioactive and nanostructured fillers can effectively enhance the mechanical, thermal, and antimicrobial properties of PLA, highlighting their potential for sustainable, functional food packaging applications.

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ZnO-Nanoparticle-Chitosan (ZnO-NP-CH) composite has potential biomedical and food applications due to its better antimicrobial activity. However, the presence of nano-metal-oxide in the composite makes the material unsuitable for any food applications. Moreover, the cost involved in the preparation of Zinc Oxide-Nano-Particle (ZnO-NP) is a major limitation for commercial food applications. Hence a suitable alternative for ZnO-NP is highly needed for food application. Since ZnO-Bulk Particles (ZnO-BP) are food grade and there is no study on the composite prepared from ZnO-Bulk Particle-Chitosan (ZnO-BP-CH), in the present study antimicrobial activity was assessed for ZnO-BP-CH and compared with ZnO-NP-CH. Based on the study, it was observed that in the individual form of ZnO-NP possessed significantly higher antimicrobial activity than ZnO-BP. The composite form of ZnO-NP-CH and ZnO-BP-CH possessed higher antimicrobial activity than chitosan. However, no significant difference was observed between the composite forms. Hence, ZnO-BP-CH could be recommended as a suitable alternative to ZnO-NP-CH for future studies related to chitosan with ZnO composite to avoid costly nanomaterials preparation.

Natural volatile antibacterial and anti-mycotoxin tea tree oil (TTO) with rice bran (RB) were used as a solid carrier for achieving a sustained release profile with high antimicrobial efficiency in polyethylene films. Acrylic acid (AAc) monomer was grafted onto a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) through melt blending using a Brabender Plasti-Corder. The low-density polyethylene-grafted acrylic acid (LDPE-g-AAc) was thoroughly characterized by attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. LDPE and LDPE-g-AAc (80/20) were mixed with different contents of untreated RB and treated TTO/RB using melt blending to obtain sustainable composites, namely LDPE/LDPE-g-AAc/RB and LDPE/LDPE-g-AAc/TTO-RB, respectively. The effect of the addition of untreated and treated RB on the properties of biocomposites was assessed by using mechanical, barrier, and thermal properties. A prominent decrease in water vapor transmission rate occurred when adding 30 wt% of TTO/RB to LDPE/LDPE-g-AAc blend compared to virgin polymer. This decrease was due to the barrier effect of lignocellulosic material, particularly at high bio-filler content. The prepared biocomposites revealed good thermal stability when compared to virgin LDPE. Moreover, the biodegradability and antimicrobial properties of LDPE/LDPE-g-AAc/TTO-RB biofilms were enhanced with increasing TTO/RB contents from 10 phr to 30 phr due to the combination between LDPE-g-AAc and TTO. The obtained data revealed excellent possibility for using biopolymer grafted with antimicrobial TTO by adding RB for food packaging and biomedical purposes.

Aquatic products are highly susceptible to spoilage, and preparing composite edible film with essential oil is an effective solution. In this study, composite edible films were prepared using perilla essential oil (PEO)-glycerol monolaurate emulsions incorporated with chitosan and nisin, and the film formulation was optimized by response surface methodology. These films were applied to ready-to-eat fish balls and evaluated over a period of 12 days. The films with the highest inhibition rate against Staphylococcus aureus were acquired using a polymer composition of 6 μL/mL PEO, 18.4 μg/mL glycerol monolaurate, 14.2 mg/mL chitosan, and 11.0 μg/mL nisin. The fish balls coated with the optimal edible film showed minimal changes in appearance during storage and significantly reduced total bacterial counts and total volatile basic nitrogen compared to the control groups. This work indicated that the composite edible films containing essential oils possess ideal properties as antimicrobial packaging materials for aquatic foods.

No abstract available

A poly(methyl methacrylate-co-maleic anhydride) P(MMA-co-MA) copolymer was synthesized via radical polymerization. The synthesized P(MMA-co-MA) copolymer was identified by 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR), (13C-NMR), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/P(MMA-co-MA)–SiO2 composites were developed using a solution-casting method. The PBAT to P(MMA-co-MA) weight ratio was kept at 70:30, while the weight percentage of SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) was varied from 0.0 to 5.0 wt.%. SiO2 was used for PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA) to solve the compatibility between PBAT and the P(MMA-co-MA) matrix. The PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA)–SiO2 composites were characterized by studied FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and TEM. A comparison of the composite film PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA)–SiO2 (PBMS-3) with the virgin PBAT and P(MMA-co-MA) film revealed its good tensile strength (19.81 MPa). The WVTR and OTR for the PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA)–SiO2 composites were much smaller than for PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA). The PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA)–SiO2 WVTR and OTR values of the composites were 318.9 ± 2.0 (cc m−2 per 24 h) and 26.3 ± 2.5 (g m−2 per 24 h). The hydrophobicity of the PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA) blend and PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA)–SiO2 composites was strengthened by the introduction of SiO2, as measured by the water contact angle. The PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA)–SiO2 composite films showed excellent antimicrobial activity against the food-pathogenic bacteria E. coli and S. aureus from the area of inhibition. Overall, the improved packaging characteristics, such as flexibility, tensile strength, low O2 and H2O transmission rate, and good antimicrobial activities, give the PBAT/P(MMA-co-MA)–SiO2 composite film potential for use in food packaging applications.

The functional gelatin/curcumin composite film was prepared using an emulsifier, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The composite films were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FE-SEM test results showed that curcumin was evenly distributed in the gelatin polymer matrix to form a flexible composite film with a smooth surface. The addition of 1.5 % of curcumin improved the UV blocking effect by more than 99 % at a loss of 5.7 % of transparency compared to neat gelatin films. The addition of curcumin (up to 1 wt%) significantly improved mechanical and water vapor barrier properties. Also, the gelatin/curcumin composite films exhibited remarkable antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogenic bacteria, E. coli and L. monocytogenes, and showed strong antioxidant activity comparable to ascorbic acid. Antibacterial and antioxidant gelatin/curcumin composite films with improved UV protection, water vapor barrier and mechanical properties have high potential in active food packaging applications.

The aim of this study is to develop a self‐assembled β‐lactoglobulin nanofibril (β‐lg Nfs)‐incorporated carboxymethyl cellulose/carrageenan (CMC/CG) composite edible film using the solution casting method. The structure and physical interactions of β‐lg Nfs within the polymer matrix are evaluated based on their physical, mechanical, barrier, structural, and antimicrobial properties. The results indicate that the incorporation of β‐lg Nfs significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increases the thickness, hydrophobicity (contact angle), tensile strength, and elongation at break while decreasing moisture content, solubility, water vapor transmission rate, and oxygen and carbon dioxide transmission. The morphology of β‐lg Nfs confirms the formation of well‐defined nanofibrils, and the morphology of the edible film confirms a homogeneous structure of CMC/CG edible films, with citric acid acting as a crosslinking agent and the successful incorporation of β‐lg Nfs into the CMC/CG film matrix. FT‐IR studies confirm the chemical interactions within the film matrix with Nfs. Antimicrobial studies reveal that the CMC/CG‐based films show greater activity against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Thus, this research demonstrates that the incorporation of self‐assembled protein nanofibrils into edible films enhances their mechanical, barrier, and water resistance properties, along with their structural integrity, making the film suitable for food packaging applications.

In this study, nanocomposite films were developed from cassava starch and pectin, functionalized with guava peel polyphenol nanoparticles and reinforced with a polylactic acid bilayer. Guava peel, an agro‐waste, is a rich source of polyphenolic compounds. It was processed into nanoparticles and integrated into the biopolymer matrix to improve structural, functional and protective properties. Mechanical evaluation demonstrated that tensile strength increased from 9.05 MPa in the control film to 15.6 MPa in the film containing 25% peel nanoparticles (PCS/G5), indicating effective reinforcement of the polymer network. Barrier properties were enhanced, with water vapour permeability reduced to 0.05 × 10−10 g m−1 s−1 Pa−1 in the PCS/G5 film. The bioactivity of the films was markedly improved, with antioxidant capacity reaching 69.8% DPPH radical scavenging compared with 5.9% in the control, and antimicrobial activity resulting in inhibition zones of 18.5 mm against Escherichia coli and 24.5 mm against Staphylococcus aureus. Soil burial assays confirmed complete biodegradation within 42 days. Packaging trials using spray‐dried stevia powder validated the films' performance, showing retention of 70.1% antioxidant activity after 5 months of storage compared with 52.9% in kraft paper packaging, while maintaining powder flowability and bulk density similar to commercial laminate films. The findings demonstrate that guava peel–fortified cassava starch–pectin composites combine mechanical strength, barrier protection, bioactivity and biodegradability, establishing their potential as high‐performance materials for sustainable food packaging.

PVA/CC/CUR/PL composite films containing curcumin (CUR) and ε-polylysine (PL) were prepared by casting and chemical grafting methods to address the threat to food spoilage. Morphological analysis showed that the grafting of CUR and PL resulted in a rough cross-section of the polymer matrix. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the grafting of CUR and PL into the polymer matrix via esterification and amidation reactions, respectively. Thermal weight loss analysis showed that grafting process positively improved the thermal stability. The PVA/CC/CUR/PL films exhibited strong bactericidal activity, reaching 99.0% and 99.8% for Pseudomonas lundensis and Shewanella putrefaciens, respectively. After 8 days of storage, the total number of colonies and the TVB-N content in the PVA/CC/CUR/PL group decreased by 1.51 lg CFU/g and 13.77 mg/100 g, respectively. Therefore, PVA/CC/CUR/PL films are considered as a promising bactericidal material with good mechanical properties, functionality, and other excellent characteristics.

In this work, the antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles in polyethylene based nanocomposites has been investigated using a non-conventional processing method to produce homogeneous materials. High energy ball milling under cryogenic conditions was used to achieve a powder of well-blended low-density polyethylene and commercial silver nanoparticles. The final composites in the form of films were obtained by hot pressing. The effect of various silver nanoparticles content (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 wt %) on the properties of low-density polyethylene and the antimicrobial effectiveness of the composite against DH5α Escherichia coli were studied. The presence of silver nanoparticles did not seem to affect the surface energy and thermal properties of the materials. Apart from the inhibition of bacterial growth, slight changes in the aspect ratio of the bacteria with the content of particles were observed, suggesting a direct relationship between the presence of silver nanoparticles and the proliferation of DH5α E. coli (Escherichia coli) cells. Results indicate that these materials may be used to commercially produce antimicrobial polymers with potential applications in the food and health industries.

The practical application of chitosan in food packaging is hindered by its insufficient mechanical strength and poor biological activity. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel benzyl quaternary ammonium salt-lipoic acid derivative (BACs-LA) and covalently grafted it onto chitosan through free radical polymerization to form a new copolymer (CS-PBL). Subsequently, the multifunctional CS-PBL/GA composite film was fabricated by blending CS-PBL with gallic acid (GA). The results indicated that graft copolymerization led to a more compact film morphology, which significantly enhanced the tensile strength (27.13 MPa) and elongation at break (40.87 %), while both water vapor permeability and oxygen permeability were reduced. Under blue light irradiation, the synergistic antibacterial effect between the quaternary ammonium groups and gallic acid (GA) achieved nearly 100 % bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Incorporation of 1.5 wt% GA significantly improved the antioxidant capacity to 77 %. Antifungal assays demonstrated effective inhibition of Botrytis cinerea, and grape preservation experiments confirmed that the composite film significantly extended fruit's shelf life. Additionally, cytotoxicity assessments confirmed the good biocompatibility of the composite film. These findings highlight the promising application prospects of CS-PBL/GA composite films in postharvest fruit preservation.

Bio-active ethylcellulose (EC) polymeric films have been obtained by incorporating curcumin (curc) and Ag(I)-based compounds, known for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, respectively, within the polymeric matrix. The recently reported Ag(I) coordination polymer, in both its structural forms (α-[(bpy)Ag(OTf)]∞ and β-{[(bpy)Ag][OTf]}∞), and the [(bpy)Ag(OTf)]∞-curc polymeric co-crystal (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; OTf = trifluoromethanesulfonate) have been selected as Ag(I) species. The hybrid composite films have been prepared through the simple solvent casting method and characterized through Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), UV-vis spectroscopy. The deep investigation of the film samples highlighted the non-inert behaviour of EC towards these specific active ingredients. Antimicrobial tests showed that EC films embedding the Ag(I)-based compounds present good antimicrobial performance, in particular against Staphylococcus aureus, used as a model of Gram-positive bacteria. In addition, Silver migration tests, performed on the Ag(I)-incorporating EC films, evidenced low values of silver release particularly in the case of the EC films incorporating [(bpy)Ag(OTf)]∞-curc.

No abstract available

In this research, active packaging which was made of all-natural component hydrogels from nanocellulose composited with silver nanoparticles at various concentrations (AgH) was studied. The concentration of silver nanoparticles ranged from 0.0078 to 0.0624 phr. AgH was characterized in terms of basic properties, functional properties, and packaging applications. Biocompatibility testing with the Caco-2 cell line showed that higher concentrations of silver (higher than 0.0312 phr) provided a lower cell viability rate (lower than 70% cell viability). Here, 0.0156 phr of silver nanoparticle concentration was the maximum loading that is safe for the target cell (82% cell viability) and was thus selected for use as active packaging. The antimicrobial activity showed that AgH at all concentrations inhibited both Gram bacteria up to 99.99%. Total volatile basic nitrogen compound testing showed that chicken meat preserved by AgH had the lowest values, indicating that AgH can prolong the shelf life in freshness level 1 (15% TVB-N) for 6.2 days compared to 3.9 and 4.1 days of blank and neat cellulose hydrogel. In addition, all AgH were gradually degraded over time and eventually disappeared within 15–30 days in organic soil.

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No abstract available

The present paper reports a novel method to improve the properties of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) polymer foils suitable for applications in food packaging. It relates to the adsorption of chitosan-colloidal systems onto untreated and oxygen plasma-treated foil surfaces. It is hypothesized that the first coated layer of chitosan macromolecular solution enables excellent antibacterial properties, while the second (uppermost) layer contains a network of polyphenol resveratrol, embedded into chitosan nanoparticles, which enables antioxidant and antimicrobial properties simultaneously. X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed successful binding of both coatings onto foils as confirmed by gravimetric method. In addition, both attached layers (chitosan macromolecular solution and dispersion of chitosan nanoparticles with incorporated resveratrol) onto foils reduced oxygen permeability and wetting contact angle of foils; the latter indicates good anti-fog foil properties. Reduction of both oxygen permeability and wetting contact angle is more pronounced when foils are previously activated by O2 plasma. Moreover, oxygen plasma treatment improves stability and adhesion of chitosan structured adsorbates onto PP and PE foils. Foils also exhibit over 90% reduction of Staphylococcus aureus and over 77% reduction of Escherichia coli as compared to untreated foils and increase antioxidant activity for over a factor of 10. The present method may be useful in different packaging applications such as food (meat, vegetables, dairy, and bakery products) and pharmaceutical packaging, where such properties of foils are desired.

No abstract available

Prevalence of Campylobacter in raw poultry remains a major food microbiological safety challenge. Novel mitigation strategies are required to ensure the safety and quality of poultry products. Active food packaging can control pathogens without directly adding antimicrobials into the food matrix and extend the food’s shelf life. The functionalized absorbing pad with ZnO NPs developed in this study was able to inactivate C. jejuni in raw chicken meat and keep the meat free from C. jejuni contamination during shelf life without any observed migration of nanoparticles. The controllable conversion of immobilized ZnO NPs to free Zn2+ makes this approach safe and eco-friendly and paves the way for developing a novel intervention strategy for other high-risk foods. Our study applied nanotechnology to exploit an effective approach for Campylobacter control in raw chicken meat products. ABSTRACT Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are regarded as a safe and stable antimicrobial that can inactivate bacteria by several potential working mechanisms. We aimed to incorporate ZnO NPs into packaging material to control Campylobacter in raw chicken meat. ZnO NPs were first incorporated into three-dimensional (3D) paper tubes to identify the lethal concentration against Campylobacter jejuni, which was selected as the working concentration to develop 2D functionalized absorbing pads by an ultrasound-assisted dipping technique. The functionalized pad was placed underneath raw chicken meat to inactivate C. jejuni and the predominant chicken microbiota at 4°C within 8 days of storage. Immobilized ZnO NPs at 0.856 mg/cm2 reduced C. jejuni from ∼4 log CFU/25 g raw chicken meat to an undetectable level after 3 days of storage. Analysis by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy showed that the Zn level increased from 0.02 to 0.17 mg/cm2 in treated raw chicken meat. Scanning electron microscopy validated the absence of nanoparticle migration onto raw chicken meat after treatment. Inactivation of C. jejuni was associated with the increase of lactic acid produced by Lactobacillus in raw chicken meat in a pH-dependent manner. Less than 5% of Zn2+ was released from ZnO NPs at neutral pH, while up to 88% was released when the pH was <3.5 within 2 days. Whole-transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis demonstrated a broad effect of ZnO NPs on genes involved in various cellular developmental processes as annotated by gene ontology. Taken together, the results indicate that functionalized absorbing pads inactivated C. jejuni in raw chicken meat by immobilized ZnO NPs along with the controllable released Zn2+. IMPORTANCE Prevalence of Campylobacter in raw poultry remains a major food microbiological safety challenge. Novel mitigation strategies are required to ensure the safety and quality of poultry products. Active food packaging can control pathogens without directly adding antimicrobials into the food matrix and extend the food’s shelf life. The functionalized absorbing pad with ZnO NPs developed in this study was able to inactivate C. jejuni in raw chicken meat and keep the meat free from C. jejuni contamination during shelf life without any observed migration of nanoparticles. The controllable conversion of immobilized ZnO NPs to free Zn2+ makes this approach safe and eco-friendly and paves the way for developing a novel intervention strategy for other high-risk foods. Our study applied nanotechnology to exploit an effective approach for Campylobacter control in raw chicken meat products.

Food quality is mainly affected by oxygen through oxidative reactions and the proliferation of microorganisms, generating changes in its taste, odor, and color. The work presented here describes the generation and further characterization of films with active oxygen scavenging properties made of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) loaded with cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs) obtained by electrospinning coupled to a subsequent annealing process, which could be used as coating or interlayer in a multilayer concept for food packaging applications. The aim of this work is to explore the capacities of these novel biopolymeric composites in terms of O2 scavenging capacity, as well as antioxidant, antimicrobial, barrier, thermal, and mechanical properties. To obtain such biopapers, different ratios of CeO2NPs were incorporated into a PHBV solution with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant. The produced films were analyzed in terms of antioxidant, thermal, antioxidant, antimicrobial, optical, morphological and barrier properties, and oxygen scavenging activity. According to the results, the nanofiller showed some reduction of the thermal stability of the biopolyester but exhibited antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In terms of passive barrier properties, the CeO2NPs decreased the permeability to water vapor but increased the limonene and oxygen permeability of the biopolymer matrix slightly. Nevertheless, the oxygen scavenging activity of the nanocomposites showed significant results and improved further by incorporating the surfactant CTAB. The PHBV nanocomposite biopapers developed in this study appear as very interesting constituents for the potential design of new active organic recyclable packaging materials.

Active packaging represents an innovative alternative to improve the quality of food and extend the shelf life of the product. The main aim of this research is to develop antibacterial films based on chitosan (Cs), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONps) to find a solution of food deterioration due to the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. ZnONps were synthesized by green chemistry using the leaves extract of Petroselinum crispum. The films were fabricated with 0; 0.5; and 1% w/v of ZnONps using different proportions of Cs: PVA by the casting method. The mechanical, physicochemical, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties were assessed. Moreover, the influence of the Cs/PVA/ZnONps films in the conservation of the Isabella grape was analyzed (pH, titratable acidity, weight loss, total soluble solids, and decay rate) and it was compared to commercial coating and uncoated grapes. Results showed the increase in the content of PVA improved the mechanical properties and increased the water absorption. Besides, Young’s Module, and tensile strength of the films improved with ZnO nanoparticles addition. The antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposite films against Escherichia Coli was demonstrated. Finally, it was corroborated the nanocomposite films preserve the quality and extend the shelf life of Isabella grapes 6 days more than the commercial coating affirming their use in food packaging. To the best of our knowledge, no previous work related with the development of films based on Cs/PVA reinforced with ZnONPs has tested its application as fruits packaging, determining its effect on the ripening process through physic-chemical assays. Graphical Abstract

In this study, a single step in situ sol-gel method was used to syntheses nanocomposite films using chitosan (CS) as the basis material, with the addition of silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag2O) at several weight percentages (5 %, 10 %, and 15 % Ag2O/CS). The structural characteristics of Ag2O/CS films were investigated using a range of analytical techniques. The presence of the primary distinctive peaks of chitosan was verified using FTIR spectra analysis. However, a minor displacement was observed in these peaks due to the chemical interaction occurring with silver oxide molecules. XRD analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the crystallinity of chitosan when it interacted with metal oxide nanoparticles. Furthermore, it is believed that the interaction between silver oxide and the active binding sites of chitosan is responsible for the evenly dispersed clusters shown in the micrographs of the chitosan surface, as well as the random aggregations within the pores. EDS technique successfully identified the presence of distinctive silver signals within the nanocomposite material, indicating the successful absorption of silver into the surface of the polymer. The developed Ag2O/CS nanocomposite showed promising antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus). Also, Ag2O/CS nanocomposite exhibited marked antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, and Penicillium chrysogenum. The antioxidant activity of the developed nanocomposite films was studied by ABTS radical scavenging. The highest antioxidant and antibacterial properties were achieved by including 15 % silver oxide into the chitosan. Therefore, our finding indicate that chitosan‑silver oxide nanocomposites exhibits significant potential as a viable material for application in several sectors of the food packaging industry.

The aim of this work was to estimate the impact of polypropylene (BOPP) films with active coatings applied on their surface on the quality of sliced, plant-based meat analogue (PBMA) sausages. The coatings contained zinc oxide nanoparticles and geraniol (AG) or zinc oxide and carvacrol (AC) as active compounds. The outcomes of the study indicated that the total microbial count of ready-to-eat, sliced PBMAs bought from a local store was high, confirming that the plant-based sausage must have been contaminated during slicing. It was shown that BOPP bags and spacers covered with the AG layer reduced the number of mesophilic bacteria in sliced plant-based sausages stored for 96 h, proving that this packaging material maintained the microbial quality of PBMA samples. It has to be underlined that neither S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, Salmonella sp. nor coliform bacteria were detected in the plant sausage samples after 48 h and 96 h of storage in the BOPP packaging covered with the AG and AC coatings, confirming that these slices were acceptable for consumption. However, the textural analysis showed that bags coated with the AC layer were the best bags for 96 h of storage.

No abstract available

An eco-friendly active packaging film for food with ultraviolet (UV) light blocking ability was prepared using nano-magnesium oxide (MgO), nano-zinc oxide (ZnO), nano-cellulose (NCC), and poly(lactic acid) (PLA). The results revealed that the four nanomaterials were evenly dispersed in the PLA films, but no chemical bonds formed according to infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Compared with other PLA films, the PLA films with ZnO were endowed with excellent UV absorption and its surface hydrophilicity was decreased. On the contrary, the PLA films with MgO, ZnO, and NCC had improved mechanical strength, better antimicrobial activity, lower oxygen permeability (OP), and water vapor permeability (WVP). The PLA film with nanoparticles is an excellent active packaging material with improved physical, mechanical, and barrier properties, which can also avoid the damage of food or active ingredients in packaging from UV radiation, and has a broad application prospect for the preparation of multilayered composite active packaging materials for food.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are a kind of excellent antimicrobial agent, but the application is limited in food field due to easy leakage. In this work, for the first time, laponite immobilized silver nanoparticles (LAP@AgNPs) were synthesized with quaternized chitosan as green reductant, in which AgNPs were embedded in the interlayer of laponite due to confinement effect. Subsequently, chitosan-based films with LAP@AgNPs were prepared for keeping litchis fresh. The results show that only about 5.6% of AgNPs were released from the films with laponite, which were much lower than those films without laponite (about 29.1%), and physicochemical properties of the films were improved due to the suitable addition of laponite. Furthermore, although the films showed very low toxicity to cells, they exhibited good antimicrobial activity and effectively extended the storage life of litchi as a packaging. Hence, the research provides the potential application for silver nanoparticles in food field.

To solve the problem of cytotoxicity for most antimicrobial agents loaded in packaging materials, we developed a novel bi‐layer fibrous membrane by using centrifugal spinning, which of the outer layer was submicron native potato starch/polyvinyl alcohol (ST/PVA) composite fibers loaded with ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) for providing high antibacterial activity. The inner layer was nano‐based calcium alginate/polyethylene oxide (CA/PEO) fiber for providing excellent biocompatibility. The addition of ZnO caused the semicrystalline structures of ST/PVA fibers, while the CA/PEO fibers were shown semicrystalline structures due to the PEO. Fourier transform infrared indicated that posttreatment had not effect on the structures of ST/PVA/ZnO fiber, but the structure of CA/PEO fibers were affected by interaction between COO groups of alginate and Ca2+ ions. The results of mechanical property demonstrated that CA/PEO fibers showed highest stress of 3.83 ± 0.25 MPa and helpful for improving the stress of bi‐layer fibrous membrane. The obtained fibrous membrane had excellent antibacterial property with diameters of bacteriostatic zone against E. coli and S. aureus of 20.5 and 21.5 mm, respectively. On this basis, the shelf life of strawberry was improved up to 6th day by inhibit the growth of microorganisms, which indicated that the obtained fibrous membrane showed great potential for food packaging.

Intelligent packaging not only protects food from environmental hazards but intuitively monitors the changes of food quality and safety. A novel intelligent packaging film with pH sensitivity and antibacterial and antioxidant effects was developed based on the highly cross-linked zein. The composite film with 0.05 g/g crosslinking agent had the best mechanical properties. The tensile strength (TS) and elongation-at-break (EBA) were 2.42 and 1.53 times of that of zein film, respectively. Moreover, the intelligent packaging showed longstanding antimicrobial and antioxidant effects because of the addition of the tea tree essential oil (TTEO)-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). The blueberry anthocyanin as colorimetric indicator was added in the packaging film to monitor the safety of meat products using a mobile phone. The color of the composite film as the packaging of the pork products changed from colorless to brown after 9-day storage to show the spoilage of the pork. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first-time report of 1) the application of TTEO-loaded MSNs for food packing, 2) the addition of TTEO as the antimicrobial agent for zein film, and 3) using the applications of mobile phone to measure the RBG value of the zein-based film. This study offers an example of the highly promising biodegradable intelligent packaging with multi-functions for the enhancement of food safety.

This study aims to explore the food preservation potential of bio‐based and biodegradable films developed from chitosan (CS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles, and peppermint essential oil (PEO) and/or lemongrass essential oil (LEO), using the solvent casting technique. The effects of varying essential oil concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%) on the physical, thermal, mechanical, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and barrier properties of the films were investigated through X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), a universal testing machine (UTM), the well diffusion assay, a water contact angle (WCA) goniometer, an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) analyzer and UV–vis spectrophotometry. The study also highlights a comparative evaluation of PEO, LEO, and their combination to assess their synergistic potential. TGA and mechanical analyses revealed enhanced thermal and mechanical properties, with T 50% increasing from 262.79  °C (pure CS) to 362.85  °C (CS/PVA/TiO 2 /PEO‐1.5), and tensile strength and elongation at break rising from 8.65 MPa and 19.07% (pure CS) to 17.10 MPa and 96.01% (CS/PVA/TiO 2 /LEO‐1.0), respectively. The films exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli , and Aspergillus niger , along with significantly enhanced antioxidant performance upon essential oil incorporation, particularly for the dual‐oil CS/PVA/TiO 2 /PLEO formulation (DPPH RSA: 57.6 ± 1.8%). The CS/PVA/TiO 2 /LEO‐1.0 film achieved complete biodegradation in soil within 8 weeks. Additionally, this film extended the shelf life of white bread to three weeks at 18 °C and 54% RH, outperforming both the CS/PVA/Castor oil/TiO 2 ‐0.3 film (optimized film from our previous study) and commercial polypropylene packaging. Overall, these findings highlight the synergistic incorporation of dual essential oils and TiO 2 nanoparticles as a sustainable approach to multifunctional active food packaging materials offering enhanced preservation and reduced environmental impact.

This paper reports the incorporation of SiO2–ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) into semi-refined iota carrageenan-based (SRIC) film as active food packaging. The dispersion of the nanoparticles was performed using a bead milling method and the films were prepared using the solution casting method. The incorporation of SiO2–ZnO NPs into SRIC films aims to provide multifunctional food packaging with enhanced water vapor barrier properties, UV-screening, and antimicrobial activity. The effect of the incorporation of SiO2 NPs, ZnO NPs, and the mixtures of SiO2–ZnO NPs varied in SiO2/ZnO ratios (SiO2–ZnO 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3) were investigated. The results showed that the tensile strength, water vapor barrier performance, UV-screening, and antimicrobial activity of the SRIC film were increased by the addition of either SiO2 or ZnO NPs alone. Interestingly, when the mixtures of SiO2–ZnO were incorporated, more significant improvement was observed. Also, the bio-degradability and solubility of all the SRIC films were confirmed. It was concluded that the SiO2–ZnO NPs incorporated into SRIC film provided multifunctional activities and acted as a promising active food packaging material.

The increasing acceptance of ready to eat food generates demand on development of active and intelligent food packaging material. Even though many polymers have been used for the packaging, they have limitations for broad applications. Among the various polymers, Poly Vinyl Alcohol is a promising film forming polymer with highly flexible, emulsifying and adhesive properties. A variety of nano-fabrication techniques have already been reported to improve the mechanical and antimicrobial properties of PVA to exploit its wider applications. In the present study, starch-PVA based composite films incorporated with zinc oxide nanoparticles and phytochemicals were prepared by solvent casting technique. The films were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, UV-Vis spectrometry and SEM. The developed nanocomposite films were demonstrated to have enhanced water barrier, mechanical and antimicrobial properties. The unique features of the nanocomposite with its pH indication property demonstrated in the study indicate its potential usage in food packaging applications.

The aim of this study was to develop sago starch-based bionanocomposite films containing TiO2 nanoparticles and Penganum harmala extract (PE) to increase the shelf life of chicken fillets. First, sago starch films containing different levels of TiO2 nanoparticles (1, 3, and 5%) and PE (5, 10, and 15%) were prepared. The barrier properties and antibacterial activity of the films against different bacteria strains were investigated. Then, the produced films were used for the chicken fillets packaging, and the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of fillets were estimated during 12-day storage at 4 °C. The results showed that the addition of nano TiO2 and PE in the films increased the antibacterial activity against gram-positive (S. aureus) higher than gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria. The water vapor permeability of the films decreased from 2.9 to 1.26 (×10−11 g/m·s·Pa) by incorporating both PE and nano TiO2. Synergistic effects of PE and nano TiO2 significantly decreased the oxygen permeability of the sago starch films from 8.17 to 4.44 (cc.mil/m2·day). Application results of bionanocomposite films for chicken fillet storage at 4 °C for 12 days demonstrated that the films have great potential to increase the shelf life of fillets. The total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) of chicken fillets increased from 7.34 to 35.28 after 12 days, whereas samples coated with bionanocomposite films increased from 7.34 to 16.4. For other physicochemical and microbiological properties of chicken fillets, similar improvement was observed during cold storage. It means that the bionanocomposite films could successfully improve the shelf life of the chicken fillets by at least eight days compared to the control sample.

Smart packaging materials (SPMs) combine the properties of intelligent and active packaging into a single system, enabling for the monitoring of the packaged product while enhancing its desired conditions. In this study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was used as the base polymer and functionalized with in situ synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and methyl red (MR) as a pH-sensitive dye. Various additives, including poly(amic) acid (PAA), bromothymol blue (BB), 5-aminosalicylic acid (5AS), glutaraldehyde (GA), and silver and gold nanoparticles (AgNPs, Au NPs), were tested to optimize the SPMs. To evaluate their performance, the synthesized SPMs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, SEM, microbiological assays, and mechanical tests. Our results revealed that PLA films containing AuNPs and MR exhibited excellent mechanical, chemical, and antimicrobial properties, making them highly suitable for smart packaging applications. In contrast, the addition of PAA disrupted film formation, while AgNPs and blueberry extracts increased the brittleness of the films, thereby limiting their practical use. Furthermore, BB was found to inhibit the in situ synthesis of AuNPs. A real-world application study demonstrated that cheddar cheese wrapped in the optimized PLA films remained unspoiled after 12 months of refrigeration. IR spectroscopy confirmed that no film components migrated into the cheese during the storage period. GA was identified as a critical component for maintaining the structural integrity of the films over the 12-month storage period. This is the first study to report on the development of PLA-based SPMs that incorporate AuNPs, MR, and GA, offering a promising solution for sustainable and intelligent food packaging.

No abstract available

This study aimed to explore an innovative approach to enhancing the shelf-life and quality of meat products through the application of an active packaging system. The study involved the development of new free-standing carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) nanocomposite films incorporated with nanoencapsulated flavonoids derived from pomegranate extract. The loaded flavonoids, known for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, were nanoencapsulated via a self-assembly approach in a mixture of chitosan and sodium alginate to improve their stability, solubility, and controlled release characteristics. Chemical structure, size, and morphology of the obtained nanoparticles (Pg-NPs) were studied with FTIR, zeta-sizer, and TEM. The Pg-NPs showed particle size of 232 nm, and zeta-potential of -20.7 mV. Various free-standing nanocomposite films were then developed via incorporation of Pg-NPs into CMC-casted films. FTIR, SEM, thermal and mechanical properties, and surface wettability were intensively studied for the nanocomposite films. Barrier properties against water vapor were investigated at 2022 g·m-2d-1. The nanocomposite films possessed superior properties for inhibiting bacterial growth and extending the shelf-life of beef and poultry meat for 12 days compared with the Pg-NPs-free CMC films. This study presented a promising approach for development of active packaging systems with improved antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and economic and environmental impacts.

Background: Indian cottage cheese (Paneer), as a nutrient-dense food item, has a limited shelf life and is susceptible to microbial spoilage. Methods: This study aimed to develop an active edible coating system utilizing the statistical methodology Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Within the framework of RSM, the study evaluated the dependent parameters (pH, porosity and titratable acidity) while investigating specific ranges for the independent variables (casein, glycerin, pectin and water). Subsequently, the optimized edible coating was fortified with antimicrobial agents, namely 1% Copper Nanoparticles (CNP) and 1% Eugenol Essential Oil (EO), to assess their effectiveness in monitoring changes in physicochemical characteristics and microbial proliferation over a 14-day storage period. Result: The optimised concentrations of the independent variables were determined as follows: 8% casein, 4.6% glycerin, 0.65% pectin and 86% water, with the goal of preserving cottage cheese’s quality attributes. Notably, on the 14th day of storage, a substantial reduction in microbial proliferation, averaging 88.6%, was observed in cottage cheese samples coated with CNP coatings. Conversely, EO coatings did not effectively limit microbial growth during storage. Consequently, it can be inferred that the casein-based coating incorporating CNP effectively retained moisture, maintained an optimal pH and ensured the safety and quality of cottage cheese.

In this study, antimicrobial biocomposite films based on gelatin-κ-carrageenan (Gκ) with 1, 2 and 4 % lactoferrin (L) loaded chromium-based metal-organic frameworks (L@Cr-MOFs) nanoparticles were synthesized by casting methods. The addition of L loaded Cr-MOFs into Gκ based films increased elongation at break from 2.19 to 14.92 % and decreased the tensile strength from 65.1 to 31.22 MPa. L@Cr-MOFs addition reduced swelling index (from 105 to 70.8 %), water solubility (from 61.3 to 34.63 %) and water vapor permeability (from 2.46 to 2.19 × 10-11 g. m/m2. s). When the additional amount was 4 wt%, the Gκ/L@Cr-MOFs films showed antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with the inhibition zone of 19.7 mm and 20.2 mm, respectively. In addition, strawberries preservation trial shown that the Gκ/L@Cr-MOFs films delayed the growth of spoilage molds on the surface of fruits. This research indicated that Gκ/L@Cr-MOFs are promising active packaging materials for the preservation of perishable fruits.

The interest in nanocomposite films incorporating edible ingredients and active nanoparticles has surged due to their potential to enhance food quality and prolong shelf-life. This research focused on developing innovative exopolysaccharides (EPS)/potato starch (PS) nanocomposite films integrated with g-C3N4 and AgNO3. Extensive analysis was conducted to assess the microstructure, physical attributes and antimicrobial properties of these films. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis revealed electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions within the film components. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) data indicated a high level of compatibility among EPS, PS, g-C3N4, and AgNO3, with no new absorption peaks or characteristic signals of C3N4 and Ag appearing in the nanocomposite films patterns. The thickness, water solubility and water vapor permeability (WVP) of the EPS-PS-C3N4-Ag nanocomposite film increased due to the addition of g-C3N4, reached 0.31 ± 0.03 nm, 36.61 ± 1.76 % and 1.42 ± 0.34 × 10-10 g-1 s-1 Pa-1, respectively. While transparency, swelling degree, and oxygen permeability (OP) significantly decreased, reached 26.18 ± 2.38 %, 63.01 ± 2.51 % and 41.98 ± 1.28 %, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) images depicted an augmented roughness and porosity on the film surface upon integration of g-C3N4 and AgNO3. Moreover, the EPS-PS-C3N4-Ag nanocomposite film displayed enhanced mechanical strength due to the presence of g-C3N4. The melting temperature (Tm) of EPS-PS-C3N4-Ag nanocomposite film was 313.3 °C, the removal rates of DPPH and ABTS was 66.11 ± 2.87 % and 45.09 ± 1.23 % respectively. Significant inhibition of microbial growth was observed in film containing g-C3N4 and AgNO3, which demonstrated no toxicity towards NIH-33 cells, suggesting their potential application as promising active packaging material for food preservation.

No abstract available

Food bioactive packaging has received increasing attention from consumers and the food industry for its potential to reduce food waste and environmental issues. Several materials can be used to produce edible films/coats; however, bio-based, cost-effective, and sustainable coatings have gained a high reputation these days. For instance, Aloe vera gel (AV) is a promising bio-based material for edible coatings and films; therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the film-forming abilities of AV and Chitosan (CH) combination as a potential active food packaging material. The physicochemical and mechanical characteristics of formed films of various combinations were prepared at different concentrations, i.e., CH (0.5% w/v), AV (100%), CH:AV (75:25), and CH:AV (60:40). The results showed significant differences among all the prepared edible films wherein these differences were mainly on account of incorporating AV gel. The rheological and antioxidant properties of the formulations improved with the inclusion of AV gel. The films composed of CH:AV (60:40) positively affected the water solubility, thermal properties, and water vapour permeability of the edible films. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the films composed of CH:AV, (60:40) were amorphous and had smooth morphology. Further, the edible film solutions were applied to fresh figs (Ficus carica) to investigate their role in preserving fruits during storage. A significant reduction in microbial growth was found in coated fruits after 28 days of cold storage. The films composed of CH and AV showed overall improved results compared to the CH (0.5%, w/v). Therefore, the used formulations (CH:AV, 60:40) can form a sustainable film that has the potential to be utilized for fresh product preservation to maintain its quality and shelf life.

In this work, chitosan (Cs) was blended with different concentrations of Origanum majorana extract (OmE) for the formation of food packaging films. Based on the utilized volumes of OmE (2.5, 5, and 7.5 mL) that were mixed with 27.5, 25, and 22.5 mL of Cs, there different film samples (2.5 % OmE loaded Cs film, 5 % OmE loaded Cs film and 7.5 % OmE loaded Cs film) were obtained and compared with the film of pure Cs. The extraction yields of OmE were found to be 13 g and 10.4 g % when using ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively, with total phenolic content measured at 889.30 μg GAE/g for the ethyl acetate extract and 810.21 μg GAE/g for the methanol extract, indicating a substantial amount of bioactive compounds available for formulation. Antimicrobial activity was assessed against various foodborne pathogens, with the 7.5 % OmE-loaded Cs film demonstrating the highest efficacy, achieving inhibition zones of 27 mm against E. coli and 25 mm against S. aureus. This research underscores the potential of Cs-based films enriched with O. majorana extract as a viable solution for active food packaging, addressing environmental concerns and food safety.

No abstract available

Exploration of robust antiseptics with antibiofilm performance and long-term antimicrobial activity is of great significance to effectively destroy foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Herein, a silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) /carbon dots (CDs) nanocomposite (Ag@CDs) was constructed by the reaction of Ag+ with CDs, which has strong antibacterial ability, and mighty biofilm inhibition and destruction ability toward E. coli and S. aureus. Notably, low concentration of Ag@CDs (40.0 and 80.0 μg/mL) could ablate 86.11 % E. coli and 75.86 % S. aureus biomass of mature biofilm. To our knowledge, this is the first bactericide with powerful biofilm destruction activity. In addition, Ag@CDs exhibited long-term (30 d) antibacterial effect on the substrates of plastic, cotton, gauze, and glass. Ag@CDs was evenly dispersed into the matrix of chitosan (CS)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to fabricate well-blended food packaging films. Among which, the 3 % Ag-CP film exhibited improved mechanical performance, excellent UV-Vis light blocking ability, and intensive antimicrobial activity. Despite seven days of storage, 3 % Ag-CP still could preserve the freshness and safety of the pork and shrimp, certifying it extends the storage life of packaged foods.

To advance "green" food development, the use of more versatile biomass-based, biodegradable food packaging has been frequently proposed. Specifically, an innovative biomass-based active food packaging film (SEC) was hereby introduced based on an all-natural strategy with natural soy protein isolate (SPI) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) as raw materials. The results demonstrated the SEC had favorable anti-UV (UV blocking reached 98.5 %), antioxidant activity, biocompatibility and biodegradability, and the inhibition rates for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reached 99.37 % and 97 %, respectively. Finally, the grape preservation experiment revealed that SEC could extend the shelf life of grapes more than 15 days. This study utilizes the active functional groups such as hydroxyl and amino groups on CMCS, which can undergo addition reactions with the epoxy groups on EGDE. This innovation not only maximizes the recycling value of natural biomass but also offers a novel approach to the sustainable production of green food packaging.

In this study, bio-composite films were prepared and characterized from a combination of corn starch (CST) loaded with chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs), iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) and black tea leaves extract (BTE) via the solution casting method. The CS was extracted from shrimp shells and Fe-NPs were synthesized using BTE. The structural characterization of the films was studied using SEM and FTIR analysis, which confirmed the interaction between the film molecules. The thickness of the final CST/CS/Fe/BTE composite film was increased from 0.10 mm to 0.22 mm, the solubility and swelling index declined from 67.3 % to 37.4 % and 52.8 % to 18.0 %, respectively, as compared to the neat CST film. The contact angle and water vapor permeability of the final film were decreased from 96.84o to 75.63o and 6.42 × 10-10 to 3.63 × 10-10 g/m2/h.kPa after the addition of Fe-NPs and BTE, respectively, which indicates that the prepared films could effectively reduce the moisture diffusion, resulting in extending the shelf-life. Tensile strength and Young's modulus were increased from 25.4 to 75.0 MPa and 120.0 to 458.1 MPa, respectively. The addition of Fe-NPs showed a considerable antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. In conclusion, the produced films have promising potential for food packaging applications.

Environment-friendly, non-toxic, and functional packaging films are gaining interest worldwide for extending the shelf-life of perishable food items. Hence, this study explored the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity patterns of earlier...

No abstract available

Abstract Almond gum and varied concentrations of nanosilica (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 wt%) were introduced into the chitosan polymer matrix by solution cast method to enrich the characteristics of the bionanocomposite film. The surface topography, thermal stability, crystalline nature, and functional moieties of the synthesized bionanocomposite films were characterized by SEM, TGA, XRD, and FT-IR. The UV–Vis spectrophotometer showed a maximum absorption wavelength for the film containing the highest concentration of nanosilica. Change in properties such as increased tensile strength, elongation and reduced water solubility, and swelling properties were observed for the bionanocomposite film containing 1.0 wt% nanosilica. In addition, the films exhibited excellent inhibition effect against Escherichia coli bacteria and Candida albicans fungus, which were proven by well diffusion assay method. The carrot slices packed in the bionanocomposite film containing the highest amount of nanosilica retained their freshness for a longer period of time, suggesting the film to be an effective and excellent food packaging material.

The properties of the newly formulated nanocomposite film are enhanced by solution casting varying amounts (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%) of silicon dioxide nano particles into the chitosan/Moringa oleifera gum biopolymer matrix. SEM, TGA, XRD, and FT-IR were used to investigate the surface morphology, high temperature stability, non-crystalline character, and functional entities of the synthesized nanocomposite films. The film possessing maximum concentration of nano silicon dioxide exhibited absorptions at higher wavelength in the UV–Vis spectra. The nanocomposite film containing 1% nano silicon dioxide showed the highest tensile strength of 46 MPa, elongation property of 29.11%, good inhibition activity against Escherichia coli bacteria and Candida albicans fungus and least water solubility and swelling properties. The prolonged freshness of food was observed in carrot wrapped in the nano composite film containing 1% nano silicon dioxide. Thus the nanocomposite film containing the elevated concentration of nano particles proved to be an active food packaging constituent. Formation of chitosan/Moringa Oleifera gum/ nano silicon dioxide nanocomposite film for active food packaging Formation of chitosan/Moringa Oleifera gum/ nano silicon dioxide nanocomposite film for active food packaging

Developing a high-barrier, green, and sustainable functional packaging film material to address food safety is urgently needed but remains a significant challenge. Natural biopolymers possess the potential to serve as contemporary eco-friendly food packaging materials due to their exceptional biocompatibility and biodegradability. Herein, we present a novel class of renewable and degradable films fashioned from Egg white protein (EWP) and chitosan (CS) biopolymers. And we detected their structural, physical, and functional properties to ensure a nanocomposite film with the optimal performances. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images demonstrated a consistent enhancement in the crinkle level of the composite film as the mass ratio of CS increased. Furthermore, the tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EAB) of these films were enhanced to 402.6 % and 107.9 %, respectively. Nevertheless, the oxygen permeability (OP) and water vapor permeability (WVP) were notably reduced to 68.1 % and 93.3 %, respectively. Compared to EWP/CS/Cur0, the antibacterial rate of prepared EWP/CS/Cur(Xie et al., 2024 [3]) films were enhanced to 105.4 % and 183.9 % for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. During banana and green grape preservation, these functional films significantly retarded the decline in weight and firmness. Therefore, EWP/CS films augmented with bioactive materials could potentially serve as preservation packaging, exhibiting notable ecological advantages and recyclability potential, thus demonstrating considerable potential as a substitution for conventional plastic storage packages.

Chitosan/oxidized cellulose blended film with Tribulus terrestris (T. terrestris) extract films were successfully produced by casting method. The obtained blend films were characterized by structural, mechanical, optical, permeation, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Finally, these biodegradable blend films were used to prolong the shelf-life of sour cherries. Remarkable physical properties such as water vapor transmission rate, swelling, water solubility, mechanic strength, and UV-vis light transmittance were observed to improve positively. All blend films showed 60-70 % degradation after 30 days of hydrolytic degradation and soil burial. T. terrestris extract increased the tensile strength from 1.1 MPa to a maximum of 2.1 MPa and elongation at break from 16 % to 46 %. Furthermore, blend films with T. terrestris extract showed ~4 and ~ 3.7 times higher ABTS•+ and DPPH• scavenging potential, respectively. Moreover, the findings also revealed that blend films displayed strong antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, E. coli, and C. tropicalis. Most importantly, the shelf life of sour cherries packaged with blend films was effectively extended up to 10 days. Overall, blended films are a promising potential alternative material to petroleum-based synthetic plastics for use in active food packaging, especially in products with short shelf life such as sour cherry.

No abstract available

The growing demand for sustainable food packaging has led to the development of biobased and biodegradable materials that minimize the environmental impact of conventional plastics. This study introduces an eco-friendly thin film incorporating tannic acid (TA) into a chitosan–poly(vinyl alcohol) (CPT) matrix to preserve fresh garlic. The film, produced through solvent casting, was thoroughly characterized using several analytical techniques. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed strong molecular interactions and increased crystallinity, which enhanced the material’s compatibility and structural integrity. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed a surface roughness of 0.167 nm, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated thermal stability up to 463°C. The CPT film exhibited notable antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Aspergillus niger. Packaging trials showed that the film effectively extended garlic freshness for 24 days. These findings suggest that the CPT film offers a promising solution for sustainable packaging by combining active food preservation with real-time quality monitoring.

This work focused on developing an active bilayer film based on natural extract. Thus, the jaboticaba peel extract (JPE) was produced and characterized and showed promising application as a natural additive in biopolymeric materials. The zein fiber and bilayer films were produced using a chitosan film (casting) and zein fiber (electrospinning), with and without JPE. All samples were evaluated according to thickness, solubility in water, water vapor permeability, and main diameter, and for these, zein fiber, chitosan/zein fiber, and chitosan/zein fiber + 3% JPE showed values of 0.19, 0.51, and 0.50 mm, 36.50, 12.96, and 27.38%, 4.48 × 10−9, 1.6 × 10−10, and 1.58 × 10−10 (g m−1 Pa−1 s−1), and 6.094, 4.685, and 3.620 μm, respectively. These results showed that the addition of a second layer improved the barrier properties of the material when compared to the monolayer zein fiber. The thermal stability analysis proved that the addition of JPE also improved this parameter and the interactions between the components of the zein fiber and bilayer films; additionally, the effective presence of JPE was shown through FTIR spectra. In the end, the active potential of the material was confirmed by antimicrobial analysis since the bilayer film with JPE showed inhibition halos against E. coli and S. aureus.

The application of novel insect proteins as future food resources in the food field has attracted more and more attention. In this study, a biodegradable antibacterial food packaging material with beneficial mechanical properties was developed using Tenebrio molitor larvae protein (TMP), chitosan (CS) and propolis ethanol extract (PEE) as raw materials. PEE was uniformly dispersed in the film matrix and the composite films showed excellent homogeneity and compatibility. There are strong intermolecular hydrogen bond interactions between CS, TMP, and PEE in the films, which exhibit the structure characteristics of amorphous materials. Compared with CS/TMP film, the addition of 3 % PEE significantly enhanced the elongation at break (34.23 %), water vapor barrier property (22.94 %), thermal stability (45.84 %), surface hydrophobicity (20.25 %), and biodegradability of the composite film. The composite film has strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which were enhanced with the increase of PEE content. These biodegradable films offer an eco-friendly end-of-life option when buried in soil. Composite films can effectively delay the spoilage of strawberries and extend the shelf life of strawberries. Biodegradable active packaging film developed with insect protein and chitosan can be used as a substitute for petroleum-based packaging materials, and has broad application prospects in the field of fruits preservation.

In the present study, apple peel polyphenols (APP) were incorporated into chitosan (CS) to develop a novel functional film. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses were performed to study the structure, potential interaction and thermal stability of the prepared films. Physical properties including moisture content, density, color, opacity, water solubility, swelling ration and water vapor permeability were measured. The results revealed that addition of APP into CS significantly improved the physical properties of the film by increasing its thickness, density, solubility, opacity and swelling ratio whereas moisture content and water vapor permeability were decreased. Tensile strength and elongation at break of the CS-APP film with 1% APP was 16.48MPa and 13.33%, respectively, significantly lower than those for CS control film. Thermal stability of the prepared films was decreased while antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the CS-based APP film were significantly increased. CS-APP film with 0.50% APP concentration exhibited good mechanical and antimicrobial properties, indicating that it could be developed as bio-composite food packaging material for the food industry.

A set of chitosan/ε-polylysine (ε-PL) bionanocomposite films were prepared by a simple in situ self-assembly technique using sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) as cross-linking agent. The physical, mechanical, structural, and antimicrobial properties of these films were investigated. Fourier infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction showed that the introduction of TPP promoted the formation of hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions among functional groups of chitosan or ε-PL, which improved the tensile strength and decreased the water solubility, water vapor permeability and surface wettability of films. On the other hand, the incorporation of ε-PL weakened the bionanocomposite film' structure and integrity, resulting in a decrease trend of films' mechanical and barrier properties. More importantly, the bionanocomposite films exhibited excellent antimicrobial efficacy against E. coli and S. aureus by the increasing ratio of ε-PL. And ε-PL presented a sustained release from the films, which was closely related to TPP concentration. Results of this study suggested that chitosan/ε-PL films could be used as antimicrobial bio-material and have great potential in food industry.

This study focuses on creating a biodegradable film composed of chitosan, Indian Gooseberry (IG) extract, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), designed to enhance antimicrobial properties and improve food preservation. The presence of AgNPs and IG extract not only dramatically exhibits 99% efficiency in the antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538P), but also achieves this within a remarkably short time interval of ≈20 min. This potent antimicrobial action is attributed to the synergistic effect between the bioactive compounds in the IG extract and the nanoscale silver particles, which together create a highly hostile environment for microbial growth. Moreover, this synergy contributes to 313.94% water vapor transmittance rate and the complete biodegradability of the composite film (93.42% at the end of the second month), ensuring that it leaves no harmful residues in the environment post‐use. The reinforced film exhibits improved hydrophobicity (55.43%), which is crucial for protecting food products from moisture and extending their shelf life. Specifically, the film has been tested as a packaging material for bread, showing a significant extension in shelf life by effectively preventing mold growth and retaining freshness for an extended period (14 days).

Chitosan (CS) films were enhanced by incorporating varying volumes of loquat peel extract (LPE) to address limitations in mechanical strength and antioxidant capacity. The CS/LPE films showed remarkable improvement in elongation at break (increasing from 12.71 to 33.12%) and barrier properties, with CS/20LPE achieving a 44.5% reduction in water vapor permeability (5.31 × 10-11 g/(m·Pa·s)) and 77.6% lower oxygen transmission (1.04 × 10-6 g·mm/(m2·s)). Characterization confirmed hydrogen bonding between CS and LPE components induces molecular rearrangement (XRD), denser morphology (SEM), and enhanced intermolecular interactions (FTIR/XPS). XPS analysis revealed significant linear correlations between C-OH/C-N content and mechanical properties (R2 = 0.99), directly evidencing hydrogen bonding's role. HPLC-TOF-MS/MS identified 14 bioactive constituents in LPE, demonstrating 58.78% DPPH and 60.74% ABTS scavenging rates with 99% antimicrobial inhibition against E. coli/S. aureus. The films achieved complete biodegradation within 40 days and extended fresh-cut cantaloupe shelf life by 7 days, advancing sustainable packaging through agricultural waste valorization.

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Chitosan films containing different amounts of pistachio hull methanol extract (PHE) (2 %, 4 %, 8 % w/v) were produced. LC-MS/MS analysis demonstrated that tannic acid (207.74 mg/g PHE), gallic acid (46.63 mg/g PHE), protocatechuic acid (27.79 mg/g PHE), quinic acid (16.41 mg/g PHE), isoquercitrin (15.2 mg/g PHE) were the most abundant phenolic compounds in PHE. The biological activity test results indicated that PHE enhanced the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of chitosan films. Chitosan-based films with 8 % PHE showed significant antimicrobial activity on all microorganisms tested. Chitosan films containing even the lowest concentration of PHE effectively inhibited DPPH free radicals, indicating a significant antioxidant activity. The increase in the amount of PHE caused a decrease in the L* value and an increase in the a* and b* values. It was found that the tensile strength and elongation at break of the films containing PHE were higher than those of the control film. Chitosan film with 4 % PHE exhibited the highest values of tensile strength (10.72 ± 1.06 MPa) and elongation at break (198.57 ± 10.34 %). FTIR analysis showed that PHE modified the intermolecular interactions in the film matrix, leading to the expansion of the CC bond and an increase in the intensity of the CO bands. Thermal analysis displayed that chitosan films incorporating PHE exhibited higher thermal stability compared to control films. PHE can be used as a bioactive supportive material in food packaging.

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Collagen, a fibrous protein with triple-helical structure, is a good film-forming substrate for food packaging films because collagen films show advantages of biodegradability, high mechanical strength and good water resistance. However, collagen films lack functional activities, which may limit their applications in the field of active packaging. In this work, phenolic acid-grafted-chitosan was blended with collagen to improve the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of collagen films. Gallic acid (GA), ferulic acid (FA) and caffeic acid (CA) were respectively grafted onto chitosan, and the physical properties and functional activities of the collagen/phenolic acids-g-chitosan (CGC, CFC and CCC) films were compared. The prepared films presented varying degrees of yellow color, and exhibited significantly improved UV light blocking capacity, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties due to the function of phenolic acid. Moreover, compared with collagen/chitosan (CC) film, CGC, CFC and CCC films showed higher mechanical strength (69.08-73.79 MPa), higher thermal denaturation temperature (69.4-71.2 °C), and lower water vapor permeability values (2.64-2.98 × 10-12 g m-1 s-1 Pa-1). The properties of collagen/ phenolic acids-g-chitosan films were greatly affected by the type of phenolic acid grafted. CGC film had the best antioxidant property as well as the best mechanical property, thermostability, UV light and water vapor blocking capacity.

We report a novel cross-linked chitosan composite film containing vanillin, glycerol, and green tea extract. The effects of vanillin-mediated cross-linking and the incorporation of antimicrobial green tea polyphenols were investigated. The cross-linking effect, confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, increased the tensile strength of the biopolymer film to 20.9 ± 3 MPa. The release kinetics of polyphenols from the chitosan–vanillin matrix was studied, and we reported an initial burst release (8 h) followed by controlled release (8 to 400 h). It was found that both vanillin and green tea polyphenols were successful inhibitors of foodborne bacteria, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of the tea polyphenols determined as 0.15 mg/mL (Staphylococcus aureus). These active components also displayed strong antioxidant capacities, with polyphenols quenching >80% of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals at all concentrations tested. Degradation results revealed that there was a significant (>85%) mass loss of all samples after being buried in compost for 12 weeks. The biopolymeric films, prepared by solvent casting methods, adhere to green chemistry and waste valorization principles. The one-pot recipe reported may also be applied to other cross-linkers and active compounds with similar chemical functionalities. Based on the obtained results, the presented material provides a promising starting point for the development of a degradable active packaging material.

Chitosan films containing aqueous extracts of sage and rosemary were prepared as a potential food coating material with antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The effect of adding extracts at different concentrations on the mechanical, physical, and optical properties of the films was investigated. The addition of the extracts significantly increased Young's modulus values of the films compared to the chitosan film, and a significant decrease was observed in the swelling percentage and water vapor permeability of the films. Since all the prepared films were ionically cross-linked, the increase in water solubility of the films with the addition of the extract was at a low level. The release of rosmarinic acid, which is found in significant amounts in both plants, from the films was monitored by the capillary electrophoresis. The antioxidant properties imparted to the films by the addition of plant extracts were determined by DPPH and FRAP methods. The addition of plant extracts increased the antimicrobial property of chitosan films against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Films containing sage and rosemary extracts showed potential for use as food coating materials.

Acacia catechu contains polyphenolic compounds such as catechin and tannins, which exhibit antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that have the potential to be used in food packaging applications. In this study, chitosan-based (CH) antioxidant films were developed with the incorporation of calcium carbonate (CC) and Acacia catechu (CT). The films were fabricated by the solvent-casting method, and the effects of the different concentrations of Acacia catechu were analyzed. The physicomechanical, antioxidant, and UV shielding properties of the films were determined. The addition of Acacia catechu and calcium carbonate has significantly increased the tensile from 2.30 MPa to 4.95 MPa, respectively, for neat CH and CH/CC/CT-4 film. At the same time, there is a reduction in the elongation at break from 26.75 % in neat CH film to 12.11 % in CH/CC/CT-4 film. The CH/CC/CT-4 film has shown the highest ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of 0.440 mg Trolox/g dried weight of the film and 2,2 diphenyl picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of 93.05 %. The UV transmittance of CH/CC/CT-4 film was 0.46 %, the lowest compared to the rest of the fabricated films. These active properties depict that CH/CC/CT-4 film has the potential to be utilized for the packaging of light and oxygen-sensitive food products.

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The effect on the physical, mechanical, and antibacterial properties of films composed of alginate-chitosan with the incorporation of oregano (EOO) or thyme (EOT) essential oils was evaluated. These films showed a thickness between 37.7 and 38.2 µm, with no significant differences for essential oil content. Water vapor permeability decreased from 4.03 (oil-free film) to 1.65 (g/msPa) × 10−9 in 3% EO. Mechanical properties reflected a reduction in tensile strength (TS) from 73 (oil-free films) to values between 34 and 38 MPa with 3% EO, while elongation (E%) increased from 4.8% to 10.4–11.8%. Regarding antibacterial capacity, as the concentration of essential oil increases, the antibacterial capacity also increases. On average, the increase from 1.0% to 3.0% of EOO increased the antimicrobial capacity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. EOO outperformed EOT against E. coli and L. monocytogenes. In addition, films with 2–3% EOT showed a significant dark yellow color compared to the control. These results suggest that films with the addition of oregano and thyme essential oils can be promising for food packaging applications with the ability to improve food safety and increase product shelf life by achieving functional packaging characteristics.

This study developed a sustainable, edible composite film based on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and gelatin (GL), incorporating antimicrobial peptides from fava beans (FBAP) for active food packaging. The antimicrobial composite film (U-CMCS/GL-FBAP) was prepared via ultrasonication-assisted cross-linking. Structural analysis confirmed enhanced hydrogen-bonding interactions among the components. The film exhibited a water contact angle of 108.3°, indicating modulated surface wettability. The incorporation of FBAP markedly improved the mechanical properties, increasing the tensile strength and flexibility by approximately 2 times and 1.12 times, respectively. The film also demonstrated a low water vapor permeability (WVP) of 3.55× 10-11 g·m/(m2·s·Pa) and significant antioxidant activity, with a DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates of 40.89% and 79.44%. Furthermore, the film demonstrated strong UV-blocking properties and sustained antibacterial activity, achieving a cumulative FBAP release of 65.82% over 96 h. In application trials on winter jujubes and cherry tomatoes, the coating effectively extended the shelf life by 11 days, respectively, primarily by suppressing microbial growth and reducing quality deterioration. Overall, the U-CMCS/GL-FBAP film combines balanced surface properties, enhanced mechanical and barrier performance, antioxidant capacity, and controlled antimicrobial release, offering a promising and sustainable strategy for the high-value utilization of legume by-products in food preservation.

To enhance the characteristics of the biocomposite film, solution cast was used to incorporate almond gum at different concentrations (10.0, 30.0, and 50.0%). The functional groups and morphology were determined using FTIR and SEM. The thermal property of chitosan and its composites materials were determined via TGA. In this study, the incorporation of almond gum into the chitosan matrix resulted in good mechanical strength, film thickness, and low barrier and solubility characteristics. Water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of the composites films was also investigated. The WVTR and OTR values for the chitosan/almond gum (CSA) composite film values are 11.6 ± 1.62 (g/m2/day) and 32.9 ± 1.95 (cc/m2/24 h), respectively. The obtained composites show significantly improved antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) food-borne pathogenic bacteria. The results suggest that the CSA composites may serve as a promising candidate for antimicrobial food packaging materials. After an observation of the test results, it is inferred that the CSA composites bear good mechanical and antimicrobial activity and also show enhanced morphological characteristics.

One of the main causes of food losses and possible infection spreading is the contamination by pathogenic microorganisms. Such issue is strictly connected to food processing and packaging. Smart coatings with antimicrobial properties can improve product shelf-life and limit pathogen growth. Here we report the preparation and characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded in zein films for potential food packaging applications. AgNPs were prepared through a reduction process using a low amount of silver precursor, room temperature, and ascorbic acid as reductant. A suitable protocol was developed for fabricating self-standing AgNPs/zein films. Morphological and spectroscopic characterization was performed to investigate NPs and nanocomposites.

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Preventing contamination with pathogenic and spoilage microbes is very important to keep surfaces clean in the environment of food and beverage production. Traditional chemical sanitizers have limitations including residues, corrosion of equipment, user safety and possible microorganism adaptations. In the present investigation, naturally based (biopolymers) antimicrobial coatings were prepared by combining sodium alginate with five natural agents of clove, garlic, turmeric, honey and vinegar (Acetic Acid), tested on glass slides as surrogate food contact surfaces. The coatings were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, and mixed bacterial cultures using optical density and viable plate count methods. CFU/cm², log₁₀ reduction, and percentage reduction were determined, and coatings were ranked based on antimicrobial efficacy, broad-spectrum activity, statistical significance, and practical applicability. Among all tested formulations, clove–alginate exhibited the highest antibacterial activity, achieving >2 log₁₀ and >97% reduction against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, followed by turmeric and acetic acid–alginate coatings with moderate efficacy. Honey and garlic alginate coatings demonstrated limited or inconsistent antimicrobial effects. These findings suggest that clove–alginate acts as a safe, effective and long-lasting substitute to commercial chemical sanitizers, representing an environmentally friendly alternative for surface protection in contact with food. This work demonstrates the potential of natural extract–based biopolymer coatings as a viable means of improving hygiene and safety in food systems

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The growing concerns regarding foodborne illnesses related to fresh produce accentuate the necessity for innovative material solutions, particularly on surfaces that come into close contact with foods. This study introduces a sustainable, efficient, and removable antimicrobial and antifouling coating ideally suited for hydrophobic food-contact surfaces such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Developed through a crosslinking reaction involving tannic acid, gelatin, and soy protein hydrolysate, these coatings exhibit proper stability in aqueous washing solutions and effectively combat bacterial contamination and prevent biofilm formation. The unique surface architecture promotes the formation of halamine structures, enhancing antimicrobial efficacy with a rapid contact killing effect and reducing microbial contamination by up to 5 log10 cfu·cm–2 against both Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Listeria innocua (Gram-positive). Notably, the coatings are designed for at least five recharging cycles under mild conditions (pH6, 20 ppm free active chlorine) and can be easily removed with hot water or steam to refresh the depositions. This removal process not only conveniently aligns with existing sanitation protocols in the fresh produce industry but also facilitates the complete eradication of potential developed biofilms, outperforming uncoated LDPE coupons. Overall, these coatings represent sustainable, cost-effective, and practical advancements in food safety and are promising candidates for widespread adoption in food processing environments.

The growing accumulation of non-biodegradable petrochemical plastics and increasing food waste present urgent environmental and public health challenges. This study addresses both issues by developing biodegradable food packaging films from agar and starch, enhanced with antimicrobial properties by incorporating silver nanoparticles. The innovation of this work is the synthesis of novel agar–starch–silver nanoparticle coatings, where the contained nanoparticles were produced via green methods using two agro-industrial by-products of Greek olive oil production—olive stone extract and olive mill wastewater—as reducing agents. The morphology of the novel coatings was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, revealing nanoscale particles with variable sizes. Additional film characterization was performed through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and surface profilometry. Infrared spectroscopy analysis suggested the presence of functional groups responsible for nanoparticle stabilization, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed silver aggregation in both olive stone extract and olive mill wastewater-derived films. Profilometry showed that films with olive mill wastewater-based nanoparticles had a rougher surface than those synthesized from olive stone extract. Antibacterial efficacy was tested against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (Gram-positive) using a spot-on-film assay with high (106 CFU/film) and low (103 CFU/film) bacterial loads. After 72 h of incubation at 4 °C, both film types showed strong antibacterial activity at high bacterial concentrations, demonstrating their potential for active food packaging. These findings highlight a promising approach to sustainable food packaging within the circular economy, utilizing agricultural waste to create biodegradable materials with effective antimicrobial functionality.

ABSTRACT One effective approach to preserving quality and reducing weight loss in cold storage is applying food film-forming compositions (FFCs) containing surfactants and antimicrobial agents. This study evaluated the incorporation of lactic acid and bacteriocins synthesized by Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis (nisin and the LGS preparation from recombinant strain F-116) into a monoglyceride-based coating to enhance the microbiological safety of poultry meat during refrigerated storage (0–2 °C). Experimental data also examined the influence of bio-preservatives on active acidity (pH) and redox potential (Eh) of FFCs. Model experiments with light and electron microscopy showed structural changes in FFCs during storage. Results demonstrated that a multicomponent formulation combining a lipid matrix, organic acid, and bacteriocin follows the hurdle technology principle, where each factor contributes to the preservative effect. Such coatings, in combination with refrigeration, represent a promising alternative to synthetic preservatives for maintaining quality and extending shelf life of chilled poultry meat.

Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) are nanocoatings with possible applications in various areas, such as biomedicine and food technology. Recently, PEMs have been getting a lot of attention as potential food coatings for the prevention of fruit decay during transportation, storage, and shelf life. In this study, we fabricated thin films made of biocompatible polyelectrolytes, positively charged polysaccharide chitosan (CS), and negatively charged carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on apple surface and compared the results with the same multilayers formed on a model silica surface. The aim of our research is to correlate the fundamental aspects of the PEM build-up with their applications and to examine if contact angle measurements could be a useful tool for studying the formation of PEMs on apple surfaces. The influence of various experimental conditions on PEM formation was examined, and it was shown that the PEM build-up and properties such as thickness and hydrophobicity strongly depend on the applied experimental conditions (e.g., pH of the polyelectrolyte solutions). Moreover, for the first time we showed that the PEM build-up on apples could be verified using contact angle measurements. The most dominant zigzag pattern on both silica and apple surfaces at pH(CS) = 5.0 and pH(CMC) = 3.0 highlights the optimal conditions for multilayer formation and suggests that this process can be effectively monitored by using contact angle measurements. All of the results obtained in our study could serve as a basis for obtaining tuned biocompatible transparent polyelectrolyte multilayers on apples with optimized physicochemical properties, which could lead to the enhanced applications of the PEMs in the field of food technology.

The growing demand for fresh foods, as well as the rise in ready-to-eat foods, is leading the food industry to study edible coatings to maintain the quality of fresh-cut fruit. The objective of this work was, first, to determine the antimicrobial activity of a commercial anti-browning solution (A), chitosan (CH), and nanochitosan (NCH) both in vitro and in vivo and, secondly, to assess the effects of those coatings on the quality of fresh-cut nectarines. Antimicrobial activity was studied against Listeria monocytogenes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which were used as models of a foodborne pathogen and a spoilage microorganism, respectively. After evaluating their effect against both microorganisms, including in nectarines (Prunus persica L. cv Nectagala), the fruit was treated with commercial anti-browning alone (A), anti-browning with chitosan (A + CH), and anti-browning with nanochitosan (A + NCH). The slices were then sealed in polyethylene plastic trays and stored at 5 °C for 6 days. pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids content, firmness, color, visual acceptance, and microbiological evolution were assessed. Total color difference (TCD) results demonstrated higher value in the fresh-cut fruit without coating. The chitosan coating controlled microbial growth during cold storage without causing significant alterations to the fruit’s quality, while it had the highest overall visual acceptance of the final product. Chitosan demonstrated clear advantages as an edible biocoating for fresh-cut nectarines, whereas nanochitosan did not perform as effectively as expected, indicating the need for further optimization to realize its potential benefits. The combination of chitosan and anti-browning agents presents a sustainable method for enhancing the quality and safety of fresh-cut nectarines, which may contribute to the extension of their shelf life

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Chitosan (CS), zinc oxide (ZnO) and essential oils, have been widely researched for their potential in food packaging and preservation due to their ability to extend shelf-life. This study examined the effects of chitosan-poly-vinyl-alcohol-based (CS/PVOH) hydrogel coatings’, on the microbiological quality and shelf-life of pork and tofu sausages. The hydrogel coatings included ZnO grown on montmorillonite (ZnO@NaMt) and thyme-oil (TO) adsorbed in organically modified montmorillonite (TO@OrgMt) nanohybrids dispersed in CS/PVOH, based composite. The sausages were analysed for mesophilic, psychrotrophic, and lactic acid bacteria. Statistical tests were employed to assess the differences between groups. Pork sausages’ shelf-life was extended to 10 and 20 days for CS/PVOH/ZnO@NaMt, CS/PVOH/TO@OrgMt, and for pure CS, CS/PVOH coated samples, respectively. The bacteriostatic effect of CS/PVOH/ZnO@NaMt, CS/PVOH/TO@OrgMt, and CS/PVOH hydrogel coatings was observed after the 20th day. Mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria counts decreased, and tofu sausages’ shelf-life was also prolonged, indicating the coatings’ ability to extend shelf-life.

Grapes are rich in phenolic compounds with potent antioxidant properties that mitigate risks associated with cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. However, postharvest storage often leads to microbial infestations, significantly deteriorating fruit quality. This study investigated the effects of two composite edible coatings i.e., Coffee Husk Pectin-Clove Oil (CHP-CO) and Freeze-Dried Coffee Husk Pectin-Clove Oil (FD-CHP-CO) on prolonging the shelf life of grapes. Coated and uncoated grapes were evaluated for their physicochemical (weight loss, colour, pH, total soluble solids and titratable acidity), bioactive compounds (total phenolics and total flavonoids), in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial properties during 14 d of storage at ambient (RT, 25 ± 1 °C) and cold (4 ± 1 °C) storage conditions. Coated grapes maintained better quality compared to uncoated grapes, with FD-CHP-CO reducing weight loss by up to 76 % at ambient conditions (0.92 ± 0.26 % vs. 3.89 ± 1.63 % in uncoated grapes). The FD-CHP-CO coating also resulted in a significant inhibition zone increase against Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96 from 11 to 15 mm. Additionally, the coated grapes showed higher retention of bioactive compounds, with total phenolics and total flavonoids retention of 86.9 % and 83.7 %, respectively. These results suggest that CHP-CO and FD-CHP-CO coatings effectively extend the shelf life of grapes, maintaining their quality and safety during storage, and highlight the potential of these coatings in reducing food waste and improving consumer satisfaction.

The bactericidal properties of traditional food coatings mostly depend on the amount of fungicides present, which reduces the sustainability of food packaging. Herein, we proposed a magnetic field to precisely modulate the near-infrared (NIR) absorption activity to enhance antimicrobial coatings sustainability. Inspired by the typical grinding procedure, the assembly of CP/Fe3O4@TA nanofiber hydrogel was proposed as the coating, applying mechanical force and encouraging the collision of effective molecules of puerarin (PUE), chitosan (CS), and Fe3O4@TA NFs. This hydrogel design offers precise control over the physical and chemical properties, including appearance, viscoelasticity, and rheology. Particularly, significant changes in photothermal performance were observed as a result of magnetic regulation of NIR absorption activity. As a result, the CP/Fe3O4@TA coatings achieve effective bacteria killing performance under NIR irradiation, magnetocaloric effect, boric acid adsorption, and aggregation interference. Finally, the hydrogel coating was applied to the beef surface and serves as an effective barrier against the growth of pathogenic bacteria, thereby preserving the freshness and tenderness of the beef. The finding from this work is expected to open up a new way in active nano hydrogel coating for food preservation.

The integration of photodynamic antimicrobial with multimodal sensing technologies offers substantial potential applications across diverse stages of food production, storage, and transportation. Here, we have developed a novel colorimetric/fluorescent dual-mode sensing chemosensor, TIDOH, with photodynamic antimicrobial capabilities. TIDOH was synthesized by coupling triphenylamine, which exhibits photodynamic properties, with pH-sensitive reactive groups through Knoevenagel condensation. Under acidic conditions, TIDOH opens its ring to form a conjugated structure, while under alkaline conditions, it closes the ring, resulting in a blue shift in fluorescence emission. This behavior, confirmed by DFT calculations and fluorescent methods, allows TIDOH to detect volatile amines through significant color changes, aiding visual spoilage monitoring. Additionally, in vitro studies revealed TIDOH's photodynamic antimicrobial activity. By integrating it with biocompatible carboxymethyl chitosan and sodium alginate, we developed an antimicrobial film that effectively preserves strawberries. This research not only underscores TIDOH's utility in food safety but also advances food preservation technology.

Thymol is a natural and environmentally friendly antibacterial agent. A novel Zirconium-based metal-organic framework (UiO-66) coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) serves as thymol carrier. This carrier was incorporated into chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA) films for antimicrobial applications. Characterization showed that PEG was coated on the surface of UiO-66 without disrupting the structure of UiO-66. The coating of PEG prevented the evaporation of thymol before 270 °C and decreased the release rate of thymol with retention of 12.3 %. UiO-66 retained its octahedral structure when combined with CS/PVA films, which was beneficial to the continuous release of thymol. Antimicrobial activity experiments demonstrated that CS/PVA with UiO-66 loaded with thymol had excellent inhibition of E. coli, along with an inhibition zone of 16 mm. Overall, the antimicrobial films developed in this study hold promising potential for applications in the food industry.

Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and curcumin (Cu) were utilized for preparing new protecting PVAc–Cux (x = 1, 5 and 10) coatings exerting antimicrobial photodynamic activity upon white light irradiation. Toward Salmonella typhimurium or Staphylococcus aureus, the killing efficiency represented the dependence on the Cu concentration and irradiation intensity. Toward S. aureus, the killing efficiency of PVAc–Cu10 coating reached 93% at an energy density of 72 J/cm2. With the change in storage time of coating, the results implied significant stability of photosterilization efficiency within 60 days. Compared with the control experiment, lower total viable counts (TVCs) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) values in fresh meat packaged by PVDC films with PVAc–Cu10 coatings during storage at 4 °C demonstrated the practicability of the PVAc–Cux coatings in decontaminating fresh pork. PVAc packed curcumin tightly within polymer chains, thus preventing tautomerization or, more probably, conformational transition, which is advantageous for improving photostability and emission lifetime.

Microbial spoilage of nutrient-rich strawberries leads to considerable food waste and economic losses. Plant-derived phenolic compounds, including resveratrol (RES), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and tea polyphenols (TP), have gained attention for their multi-target antimicrobial efficacy and potential applications in fruit preservation. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of these three compounds on strawberries infected with Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for RES (analytical grade, ≥99% purity) and EGCG (analytical grade, ≥98% purity) against E. coli were 1.56 g/L and 25 g/L, with an additive effect against E. coli growth (FICI = 0.625). 5 g/L TP (analytical grade, ≥98% purity) completely inhibited the mycelial growth of B. cinerea. The in vivo application of RES and EGCG significantly reduced spoilage and improved texture, color, weight retention, and flavor quality in strawberries infected by E. coli individually or in combination. Similarly, the combined use of TP and chitosan saved the quality of strawberries infected by B. cinerea compared to single treatments. This study provided new effective and eco-friendly strategies for the preservation of strawberries.

Pistacia terebinthus L., commonly known as the turpentine tree, is a wild-growing species with a well-documented history of use in traditional medicine and ethnobotany. Various parts of the plant—fruits, seeds, resin, leaves, and galls—have demonstrated significant bioactive potential, particularly antioxidant, antimicrobial, and functional properties. Despite these promising attributes, the industrial application of P. terebinthus L. in contemporary food and nutraceutical systems remains limited and underexplored. Recent advances have employed a range of technological strategies—including encapsulation, active food packaging, emulsion stabilization, probiotic immobilization, and fermentation—to improve the stability, bioavailability, and functional performance of P. terebinthus L.-derived extracts within food matrices. These approaches have shown potential in enhancing aroma retention, extending shelf life, and supporting probiotic viability, thereby positioning P. terebinthus L. as a promising candidate for use in functional formulations and natural food preservation. Nevertheless, further investigation is required to optimize processing parameters, assess the long-term stability of bioactive compounds, and establish standardized regulatory frameworks. Addressing these challenges will be essential for facilitating the broader integration of P. terebinthus L. into the functional food, nutraceutical, and food preservation industries.

Synthetic additives used in agriculture and the food sector are unsafe and cause detrimental effects on the environment and human health. Natural products such as essential oils (EOs) and plant extracts are eco-friendly, safe, and have notable antimicrobial properties. EOs, being naturally derived, are known to have very few side effects. The antimicrobial properties of EOs like thyme, lemongrass, clove, tea tree, and eucalyptus have made them a major component across industries, especially in agriculture and food preservation. Similarly, plant extracts rich in bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and phenolics, these substances are gaining attention for their potential health benefits and antimicrobial properties. In the present study, various essential oils are assessed for their antimicrobial effects on Botrytis cinerea, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and plant extracts on Xanthomonas campestris. Botrytis causes grey mold disease in plants like grapes and lettuce, Leuconostoc mesenteroides contributes to wetwood disease in trees and food spoilage, and the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris is responsible for causing black rot, a destructive disease that affects cruciferous globally. The antifungal and antibacterial properties, as well as the modes of action of these natural agents, have been evaluated using different microbiological assays such as well diffusion, disk diffusion, direct contact, and spore germination methods. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the most potent EOs and plant extracts is presented, highlighting their potential as sustainable alternatives to synthetic preservatives.

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Cherry tomatoes, consumed worldwide, have a short shelf life and are highly susceptible to significant pre- and post-harvest losses, largely due to fungal pathogens like Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporum. With the growing demand for nutritious food products free from synthetic preservatives, bio preservation has emerged as a safe and reliable method for controlling fungal growth in food. Biopreservation using lactic acid bacteria (LAB), known for producing antimicrobial metabolites, presents a promising approach at both the farm and industrial scales. This study investigates the antifungal potential of Lactobacillus fermentum O1.1, an isolate obtained from orange peel, against A. alternata and F. oxysporum. The growth performance of this isolate was assessed in various plant-based media, including watermelon rind (WMR), banana peel, and orange peel, in addition to MRS medium. Among these, WMR was found to be the most supportive medium for its growth. The cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Lb. fermentum O1.1 grown in WMR medium exhibited maximum inhibition of F. oxysporum (79.1%) and A. alternata (68%). Furthermore, cherry tomatoes infected with A. alternata and treated with the WMR-based CFS showed a reduced disease incidence (DI) of 16.78±0.05%, compared to 40.17±4.53% DI with the MRS-based CFS. Similarly, tomatoes infected with F. oxysporum and treated with the WMR-based CFS demonstrated a DI of 10.34±4.86%, in contrast to 45.67±4.53% DI with the MRS-based CFS. At room temperature (25 ±2°C), the WMR-based CFS extended the shelf life of cherry tomatoes from 2 to 5 days and decreased fungal susceptibility, with a reduction in DI by 16.78±0.05% and 10.34±4.86%, respectively. These findings suggest that Lb. fermentum O1.1 has significant potential as a bio preservative agent against fungal spoilage in cherry tomatoes.

The recovery of pepper phytochemicals present an interesting strategy in pursuit of new bioactive compounds and natural ingredients for agro-food, cosmetic and pharma industry uses, as replacements for the synthetic compounds and also in the valorisation of plant's by-products. Besides being used as a condiment, providing characteristic pungency, colour and flavour, the new pepper-derived ingredients could be used for the preservation and extension of industrial products' lifespan, as well as additives or technological ingredients with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Moreover, the application of the new products in pharmaceutical formulas for the treatment of inflammatory and pain-related conditions is also a possibility, since peppers contain capsaicinoids, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamin C and A, and minerals, such as iron and calcium, which have a health-promoting potential. Further studies on appropriate extraction protocols, stability, safety and bioactivity are necessary to provide novel and promising pepper ingredients for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications.

Plant-derived antimicrobial agents have adequate antimicrobial effects on food-borne pathogens, which can be used as food preservatives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial mechanism of chlorogenic acid (CA) against Yersinia enterocolitica and Enterobacter sakazakii. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CA was determined by employing the broth microdilution method. Then, the cell function and morphological changes of Y. enterocolitica and E. sakazakii treated with CA were characterized. Finally, the growth inhibition models of Y. enterocolitica in raw pork and E. sakazakii in skim milk were constructed through the response surface methodology. The results demonstrated that CA has a satisfactory inhibitory effect against Y. enterocolitica and E. sakazakii with a MIC of 2.5 mg/mL. In addition, CA inhibited the growth of Y. enterocolitica and E. sakazakii via cell membrane damage, such as depolarization of the cell membrane, reduction in intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and pH levels, and destruction of cell morphology. Moreover, CA reduced two log cycles of Y. enterocolitica in raw pork and E. sakazakii in skim milk at a certain temperature. According to the corresponding findings, CA has the potential to be developed as an effective preservative to control Y. enterocolitica and E. sakazakii-associated foodborne diseases.

This study developed functional soybean protein isolate (SPI)-based films incorporated with plant-derived oleosomes (mustard, grape, and chili seeds) and systematically evaluated their physicochemical properties, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and food preservation efficacy. Films were fabricated by integrating oleosomes into SPI matrices, followed by solvent casting. Physicochemical characterization revealed that films with grape seed oleosomes provided the most significant improvements compared to control SPI films: reduced transparency (56 %), water vapor permeability (11 %), and lipid peroxidation (43 % lower peroxide value); increased hydrophobicity (contact angle +20 %) and flexibility (elongation at break +16 %). All oleosome films exhibited potent antioxidant/antimicrobial activity. In refrigerated (4 °C) strawberry preservation trials over 7 days, grape seed oleosome films most effectively maintained firmness, vitamin C content, and microbial safety, outperforming polyethylene. These results highlight oleosomes as sustainable, multifunctional additives for active food packaging, offering tunable properties based on source-specific bioactive and structural advantages.

Natural preservatives are causing a rethinking of current preservation means. As a sweetener resource, exploitation of Stevia rebaudiana leaves (SRLs) is still restricted due to human conventional cognition. Herein, Lactobacillus plantarum fermented SRLs containing diverse free secondary metabolites derived from microbial deglycosylation and bioenzymatic decomposition were investigated. The apparent resistance to typical foodborne bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomoas aeruginosa, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) by fermented SRLs and their extracts were validated. The metabolite diversity and in-depth organic solvent extraction gave the possibilities for better antimicrobial actions, anti-HepG2/SGC-7901 cells in vitro in contrast with aqueous extract of unfermented SRLs. Crucially, compound identification and attribution revealed that fermentation products may be maximally contributing to antimicrobial and antitumor mechanisms rather than intrinsic plant and/or microbial components. Additionally, pork sausage models with 15 g/kg ethyl acetate extract as a preservative candidate presented preferred storage characteristics (21 days and 37 °C) compared to those without ethyl acetate extract, e.g. the minimal total plate count (3.86 ± 0.27 log CFU/g), peroxsignide value (8.02 ± 0.92 meq/kg), and acid value (2.01 ± 0.04 (KOH)/(mg/g)).

Simple Summary Tomato and cucumber are two of the most important and frequently produced and consumed fresh produce. Both of them are highly perishable with various postharvest sanitation techniques to be applied that reduce postharvest losses and extend the shelf life of vegetables and fruits. Chemical sanitizers are limited in the postharvest industry and are subjected to consumer constraints. Essential oils derived from medicinal and aromatic plants are attracting increased interest as natural sanitizers due to their well-known antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Abstract In recent years, the use of natural products such as essential oils (EOs) and other plant extracts for the preservation of fresh produce has attracted much interest from the food industry. Many endemic medicinal and aromatic plants, such as Cypriot oregano (Origanum dubium), present a plethora of properties that can be utilized by the fruit and vegetable sectors of the food industry. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of O. dubium EO and hydrosol (at different concentrations and durations of dipping application) for the preservation of tomato and cucumber fruit quality, and their effectiveness as sanitizing agents against two foodborne pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica). The results of this study indicated that increased concentrations of EO, combined with a longer duration of application, resulted in less marketable fruit compared to hydrosol application. Interestingly, EO application at lower concentrations and shorter durations of application (i.e., 0.01% for 5 min) increased fruit antioxidant, ascorbic acid and carotenoid levels (for tomato fruit), suggesting an increase in the nutritional value of the treated fruit, compared to the control. EO and hydrosol were able to decrease the bacterial populations (both bacteria) on fruits. Both products were especially effective against L. monocytogenes, even seven days after their application and storage at 11 °C (up to an approx. 3 log reduction with the EO application). Overall, the results of this study suggest that the use of O. dubium EO and hydrosol could be considered as alternative sanitation means for tomatoes and cucumbers.

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This study proposes an innovative approach to food preservation by leveraging extracellular vesicle-like particles derived from Garlic (ASL-EVLPs) as a natural and effective preservation agent. To address the limitations of chemical preservatives and sensory drawbacks of garlic, we systematically investigated the antibacterial mechanisms, stability, and sensory impact of ASL-EVLPs. The isolated ASL-EVLPs exhibited notable stability and biocompatibility. Antibacterial evaluations demonstrated significant inhibition of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Staphylococcus aureus (CMCC(B) 26003) through membrane disruption mechanisms. ASL-EVLPs effectively delayed spoilage and preserved sensory attributes in carrot juice, with in vivo safety confirmed. These findings position ASL-EVLPs as a dual-functional alternative, overcoming both microbial and sensory challenges in food preservation.

In this research article we report the potentials of chitin-based silver nanoparticles (chitin AgNPs) derived from Indian mimic goatfish (Mulloidichthys ayliffe) scales as an effective food preservation agent. The study comprehensively presents the multifaceted attributes of chitin AgNPs, including their synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial properties. Chitin yield from M. ayliffe scales and three-spot swimming crab (P. sanguinolentus) exoskeleton was determined, with the insoluble content quantified. FTIR analysis unveiled distinct absorption peaks for chitin, and scanning electron microscopy revealed the ultrastructure of chitin from both the sources. Using UV–visible spectroscopy, the biosynthesis of AgNPs was accomplished and characterized, with the color shift of the solution serving as proof of a successful synthesis. UV–vis spectra provided insights into nanoparticle size and shape. SEM micrographs exhibited spherical particle morphology, while FTIR spectra indicated amino group interactions contributing to AgNP stabilization. The antimicrobial potential of chitin AgNPs was assessed against the food pathogen, Vibrio spp. Chitin films displayed significant antimicrobial activity, particularly AgNP-synthesized chitin from M. ayliffe scales, demonstrated the highest Vibrio spp. inhibition activity. Furthermore, chitin AgNPs were incorporated into the common chili, Capsicum annuum and the tomato, Solanum lycopersicum to extend their shelf life at room temperature. This study reveals the efficacy of chitin AgNPs from M. ayliffe scales as potent agents for food preservation, offering insights into their physical, mechanical, and antimicrobial attributes. The application of chitin AgNPs to perishable food items highlights their potential in enhancing shelf life and quality, opening innovative avenues for sustainable food preservation.