Photo-oxidative degradation of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)/nisin antimicrobial films

Degradation and Recycling of Films Based on Biodegradable Polymers: A Short Review

The environmental performance of biodegradable materials has attracted attention from the academic and the industrial research over the recent years. Currently, degradation behavior and possible recyclability features, as well as actual recycling paths of such systems, are crucial to give them both durability and eco-sustainability. This paper presents a review of the degradation behaviour of biodegradable polymers and related composites, with particular concern for multi-layer films. The processing of biodegradable polymeric films and the manufacturing and properties of multilayer films based on biodegradable polymers will be discussed. The results and data collected show that: poly-lactic acid (PLA), poly-butylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) and poly-caprolactone (PCL) are the most used biodegradable polymers, but are prone to hydrolytic degradation during processing; environmental degradation is favored by enzymes, and can take place within weeks, while in water it can take from months to years; thermal degradation during recycling basically follows a hydrolytic path, due to moisture and high temperatures (β-scissions and transesterification) which may compromise processing and recycling; ultraviolet (UV) and thermal stabilization can be adequately performed using suitable stabilizers.

Strategies for combating bacterial biofilms: A focus on anti-biofilm agents and their mechanisms of action

Biofilm refers to the complex, sessile communities of microbes found either attached to a surface or buried firmly in an extracellular matrix as aggregates. The biofilm matrix surrounding bacteria makes them tolerant to harsh conditions and resistant to antibacterial treatments. Moreover, the biofilms are responsible for causing a broad range of chronic diseases and due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria it has really become difficult to treat them with efficacy. Furthermore, the antibiotics available till date are ineffective for treating these biofilm related infections due to their higher values of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), which may result in in-vivo toxicity. Hence, it is critically important to design or screen anti-biofilm molecules that can effectively minimize and eradicate biofilm related infections. In the present article, we have highlighted the mechanism of biofilm formation with reference to different models and various methods used for biofilm detection. A major focus has been put on various anti-biofilm molecules discovered or tested till date which may include herbal active compounds, chelating agents, peptide antibiotics, lantibiotics and synthetic chemical compounds along with their structures, mechanism of action and their respective MICs, MBCs, minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBICs) as well as the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values available in the literature so far. Different mode of action of anti biofilm molecules addressed here are inhibition via interference in the quorum sensing pathways, adhesion mechanism, disruption of extracellular DNA, protein, lipopolysaccharides, exopolysaccharides and secondary messengers involved in various signaling pathways. From this study, we conclude that the molecules considered here might be used to treat biofilm-associated infections after significant structural modifications, thereby investigating its effective delivery in the host. It should also be ensured that minimum effective concentration of these molecules must be capable of eradicating biofilm infections with maximum potency without posing any adverse side effects on the host.

Antimicrobial additives for poly(lactic acid) materials and their applications: current state and perspectives

Poly(lactic acid)-based antimicrobial materials received considerable attention as promising systems to control microbial growth. The remarkable physicochemical properties of PLA such as renewability, biodegradability, and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for clinical use open up interesting perspectives for application in food packaging and biomedical materials. Nowadays, there is an increasing consumer demands for fresh, high-quality, and natural foods packaged with environmentally friendly materials that prolong the shelf life. The incorporation of antimicrobial agents into PLA-based polymers is likely to lead to the next generation of packaging materials. The development of antimicrobial PLA materials as a delivery system or coating for biomedical devices is also advantageous in order to reduce possible dose-dependent side effects and limit the phenomena of antibiotic resistance. This mini-review summarizes the most recent advances made in antimicrobial PLA-based polymers including their preparation, biocidal action, and applications. It also highlights the potential of PLA systems as efficient stabilizers-carriers of various kinds of antimicrobial additives including essential oils and other natural compounds, active particles and nanoparticles, and conventional and synthetic molecules.

Nisin as a Food Preservative: Part 2: Antimicrobial Polymer Materials Containing Nisin

Nisin is the only bacteriocin approved as a food preservative because of its antibacterial effectiveness and its negligible toxicity for humans. Typical problems encountered when nisin is directly added to foods are mainly fat adsorption leading to activity loss, heterogeneous distribution in the food matrix, inactivation by proteolytic enzymes, and emergence of resistance in normally sensitive bacteria strains. To overcome these problems, nisin can be immobilized in solid matrices that must act as diffusional barriers and allow controlling its release rate. This strategy allows maintaining a just sufficient nisin concentration at the food surface. The design of such antimicrobial materials must consider both bacterial growth kinetics but also nisin release kinetics. In this review, nisin incorporation in polymer-based materials will be discussed and special emphasis will be on the applications and properties of antimicrobial food packaging containing this bacteriocin.

Incorporation of an Antibiotic in Poly(Lactic Acid) and Polypropylene by Melt Processing

Purpose

In this work an antibiotic, ciprofloxacin (CFX), was incorporated into 2 different polymeric matrices, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polypropylene (PP), to provide them with antimicrobial properties. The influence of CFX content on release kinetics and on antimicrobial and mechanical properties was evaluated.

Methods

CFX was incorporated into both the polymers by melt mixing.

Results

The effect of CFX incorporation was found to strongly depend on which polymer matrix was used. In particular, the antimicrobial tests revealed that PLA samples containing CFX produced no inhibition zone and only a slight antibacterial activity was observed when the highest concentration of CFX was added to PLA. On the contrary, PP-based materials incorporating CFX, even those containing the smallest concentration of antibiotic, showed antimicrobial activity. These results were found to be in good agreement with the evaluation of the CFX release.

Conclusions

The negative findings of PLA-based systems are attributed to degradation phenomena that occur during the melt processing, involving some interaction between PLA and CFX. A proposed reaction mechanism between CFX and PLA occurring in the melt is presented.

Effect of Graphene Nanoplatelets on the Physical and Antimicrobial Properties of Biopolymer-Based Nanocomposites

In this work, biopolymer-based nanocomposites with antimicrobial properties were prepared via melt-compounding. In particular, graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) as fillers and an antibiotic, i.e., ciprofloxacin (CFX), as biocide were incorporated in a commercial biodegradable polymer blend of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and a copolyester (BioFlex^®). The prepared materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rheological and mechanical measurements. Moreover, the effect of GnPs on the antimicrobial properties and release kinetics of CFX was evaluated. The results indicated that the incorporation of GnPs increased the stiffness of the biopolymeric matrix and allowed for the tuning of the release of CFX without hindering the antimicrobial activity of the obtained materials.

Effect of temperature on the release of carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde incorporated into polymeric systems to control growth and biofilms of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

This study assessed the effect of temperature on the release of essential oil components incorporated by melt compounding into polymeric films. Specifically, polyethylene-co-vinylacetate (EVA) films containing carvacrol (CAR) and cinnamaldehyde (ALD), alone and in combination, were prepared and their surface and mechanical properties and antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were evaluated. The addition of ALD and CAR did not provoke variation in the surface morphology of EVA and allowed their delivery. At 37°C, films containing CAR, ALD or their combination (25+75%) were found to have the strongest bactericidal effect, whereas at lower temperatures a lower killing rate was observed. There was no clear evidence of the influence of temperature on the anti-biofilm activity of the essential oil component-based polymeric films. The biomass formed on EVA containing ALD, CAR or their combination (25+75) was significantly lower (60-80% reduction) than that formed on the EVA control at both 37° and 22°C.

Mutual protection against UV aging of EVA composites using highly active optical conversion additives

The mutual ultraviolet (UV) degradation protection and optical conversion mechanism of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) rare earth organic complex (REOC) composite were investigated.

Antimicrobial packaging to retard the growth of spoilage bacteria and to reduce the release of volatile metabolites in meat stored under vacuum at 1°C

A nisin-EDTA solution was used for activation of the internal surface of plastic bags that were used to store beef chops at 1°C after vacuum packaging. The aim of the work was to evaluate the effect of the antimicrobial packaging on beef during storage. Volatile compounds and microbial populations were monitored after 0, 9, 20, 36, and 46 days of storage. The active packaging retarded the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Brochothrix thermosphacta was unable to grow for the whole storage time in treated samples, while the levels of Carnobacterium spp. in treated samples were below the detection limit for the first 9 days and reached loads below 5 Log CFU/cm(2) after 46 days. On the other hand, Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp. were not affected by the use of the antimicrobial packaging and grew in all of the samples, with final populations of about 4 Log CFU/cm(2). Carnobacterium divergens was identified by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of DNA extracted from beef after 36 days of storage. During beef storage, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids were detected in the headspace of beef samples by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The microbial metabolic activity was affected by the use of the antimicrobial film from the beginning up to 36 days with a maximum in the differences of volatile metabolites in samples analyzed at 20 days. The volatiles were also determined by electronic nose, allowing differentiation based on the time of storage and not on the type of packaging. The active packaging reduces the loads of spoilage microbial populations and the release of metabolites in the headspace of beef with a probable positive impact on meat quality.