Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm, and Antioxidant Activity of Functional Poly(Butylene Succinate) Films Modified with Curcumin and Carvacrol

Natural compounds in the fight against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms: a review of antibiofilm strategies

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen due to its ability to form strong biofilms and antibiotic resistance. Biofilms play an important role in bacterial survival against the host immune system and antibiotics. Natural compounds (NCs) have diverse bioactive properties with a low probability of resistance, making them promising candidates for biofilm control. NC such as curcumin, cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol, eugenol, thymol, citral, linalool, 1,8-cineole, pinene, cymene, terpineol, quercetin, and limonene have been widely utilized for the inhibition and destruction of S. aureus biofilms. NCs influence biofilm formation through several procedures. Some of the antibiofilm mechanisms of NCs are direct bactericidal effect, disrupting the quorum sensing system, preventing bacteria from aggregation and attachment to surfaces, reducing the microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs), interfering with sortase A enzyme, and altering the expression of biofilm-associated genes such as icaADBC, agr, and sarA. Furthermore, these compounds affect extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and their components, such as polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) and eDNA. However, some disadvantages, such as low water solubility and bioavailability, limit their clinical usage. Therefore, scientists have considered using nanotechnology and drug platforms to improve NC's efficacy. Some NC, such as thymol and curcumin, can also enhance photodynamic therapy against S. aurous biofilm community. This article evaluates the anti-biofilm potential of NC, their mechanisms of action against S. aureus biofilms, and various aspects of their application.

Biopolymers as Sustainable and Active Packaging Materials: Fundamentals and Mechanisms of Antifungal Activities

Developing bio-based and biodegradable materials has become important to meet current market demands, government regulations, and environmental concerns. The packaging industry, particularly for food and beverages, is known to be the world's largest consumer of plastics. Therefore, the demand for sustainable alternatives in this area is needed to meet the industry's requirements. This review presents the most commonly used bio-based and biodegradable packaging materials, bio-polyesters, and polysaccharide-based polymers. At the same time, a major problem in food packaging is presented: fungal growth and, consequently, food spoilage. Different types of antifungal compounds, both natural and synthetic, are explained in terms of structure and mechanism of action. The main uses of these antifungal compounds and their degree of effectiveness are detailed. State-of-the-art studies have shown a clear trend of increasing studies on incorporating antifungals in biodegradable materials since 2000. The bibliometric networks showed studies on active packaging, biodegradable polymers, films, antimicrobial and antifungal activities, essential oils, starch and polysaccharides, nanocomposites, and nanoparticles. The combination of the development of bio-based and biodegradable materials with the ability to control fungal growth promotes both sustainability and the innovative enhancement of the packaging sector.

Study on Preparation of Regenerated Cellulose Fiber from Biomass Based on Mixed Solvents

In this study, Arundo donax Linnaeus was utilized as the biomass and a TH/DS (Tetra-n-butylammonium hydroxide/Dimethyl sulfoxide, C16H37NO/C2H6OS) system was employed to dissolve biomass cellulose. The optimal process for the preparation of Arundo donax L. biomass regenerated cellulose fiber was determined through process optimization. The physical properties and antimicrobial performance of the resulting products were analyzed. The results demonstrated that the physical indicators of biomass regenerated cellulose fiber, prepared from Arundo donax L. cellulose, met the requirements of the standard for Viscose Filament (Dry breaking strength ≥ 1.65 CN/dtex, Elongation at dry breaking 15.5-26.0%, and Dry elongation CV value ≤ 10.0%). Additionally, excellent antimicrobial properties were exhibited by the biomass regenerated cellulose fiber developed in this study, with antibacterial rates against Staphylococcus aureus and other three strain indexes meeting the Viscose Filament standards. Furthermore, high antiviral activity of 99.99% against H1N1 and H3N2 strains of influenza A virus was observed in the experimental samples, indicating a remarkable antiviral effect. Valuable references for the comprehensive utilization of Arundo donax L. biomass resources are provided by this research.

A bibliometrics visualization analysis of active packaging system for food packaging

This bibliometric study includes publications on the use of active packaging in food packaging from 2000 to 2021. The number of research related to this study tends to increase annually with an annual growth rate of 23.76%, totaling 857 articles. In this study it was found that the most influential countries in the field of Active Packaging are Spain, China, and Brazil. Moreover, the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules and Nerín are the most prolific journal and author in scientific publications, respectively. Active packaging, food packaging, and antimicrobial are often used based on the total link strength out of the 1,775 keywords. The keyword analysis based on time found new terms that are being studied by many researchers, namely, bioplastics as environmentally friendly packaging, based on polysaccharides and nanoparticles, which have the potential to be developed or collaborated for breakthroughs. Therefore, the use of active packaging shows a promising trend for the packaging industry in the future.

Recent Advances in PLA-Based Antibacterial Food Packaging and Its Applications

In order to reduce environmental pollution and resource waste, food packaging materials should not only have good biodegradable ability but also effective antibacterial properties. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is the most commonly used biopolymer for food packaging applications. PLA has good physical properties, mechanical properties, biodegradability, and cell compatibility but does not have inherent antibacterial properties. Therefore, antibacterial packaging materials based on PLA need to add antibacterial agents to the polymer matrix. Natural antibacterial agents are widely used in food packaging materials due to their low toxicity. The high volatility of natural antibacterial agents restricts their application in food packaging materials. Therefore, appropriate processing methods are particularly important. This review introduces PLA-based natural antibacterial food packaging, and the composition and application of natural antibacterial agents are discussed. The properties of natural antibacterial agents, the technology of binding with the matrix, and the effect of inhibiting various bacteria are summarized.