Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
Volume 153, Issue 3, Pages 297-305Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2011.11.015
Keywords
Antimicrobial poly(L-lactic acid); Food spoilage microorganisms; Encapsulation; Polymer processing
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Funding
- Center of Food and Pharmaceutical Packaging Research, School of Packaging, Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI, USA)
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Trans-2-hexenal, a naturally occurring plant volatile with antimicrobial capacity, was encapsulated into beta-cyclodextrins (beta-CDs), enzymatically modified starch, and shown effective to control main microorganisms causing food spoilage (Alternaria solani, Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea. Colletotrichum acutatum, Penicillium sp). Loaded beta-CDs were incorporated into a poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) matrix by extrusion and casting, and yielded antimicrobial polymers made from natural resources. A masterbatch was used prior to sheet casting to improve the dispersion of the antimicrobial agent in the PLA matrix. However, this increased the number of extrusion processes for the material. The concentration of the antimicrobial compound in the polymers and its antimicrobial capacity against one food spoilage microorganism (A. solani) were measured during the different processing operations. Although the concentration of trans-2-hexenal was reduced by processing by about 70 and 99% compared to the loaded beta-CDs, for the masterbatch and sheet, respectively, the polymers were still effective in reducing microbial growth. The changes of the polymer properties due to the addition of the antimicrobial agent were investigated, too. It was found that the mechanical and barrier properties of the PLA were changed (decreased by about half the tensile strength and elongation at break and nine-fold increased permeability) while the physical properties remained the same. Based on these results, the developed polymer may be a viable antimicrobial material for applications in food packaging. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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