Antimicrobial Ag-Polyvinyl Alcohol-Bacterial Cellulose Composite Films

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and bacterial cellulose (BC) composites with antimicrobial properties were manufactured. As antimicrobial agent, there was used silver deposed on BC wet membranes using Tollens' reaction. After grinding, the BC fibrils were dispersed in PVA solution. The morphology of the obtained composite materials were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Optical properties, swelling behavior and water vapor permeability were investigated for PVA-BC-Ag composites and compared with control samples without silver. The antimicrobial activity of PVA-BC-Ag films was tested against E. coli K12-MG1655, all the composites having a good antimicrobial activity. The new composites could be used as antimicrobial packaging.