Influence of nanoliposomes incorporation on properties of film forming dispersions and films based on corn starch and sodium caseinate

The incorporation of potentially antimicrobial volatile compounds (orange essential oil and limonene) into soy and rapeseed nanoliposomes was carried out by encapsulating them trough sonication of their aqueous dispersions. Nanoliposomes were added to starch-sodium caseinate (50:50) film forming dispersions, which were dried to obtain films without losses of the volatile compounds. Structural, mechanical and optical properties of the films were analysed, as well as their antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes. The addition of liposomes in the polymeric matrix supposed a decrease of the mechanical resistance and extensibility of the films. The natural colour of lecithin conferred a loss of lightness, a chroma gain and a redder hue to the films, which were also less transparent than the control one, regardless the lecithin and volatile considered. The possible antimicrobial activity of the films containing orange essential oil or limonene was not observed, which could be due to their low anti-listerial activity or to the inhibition effect of the encapsulation which difficult their release from the matrix. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.