Alkali-cellulose/ Polyvinyl alcohol biofilms fabricated with essential clove oil as a novel scented antimicrobial packaging material

The increased environmental awareness issues encouraged the manufacture of food-wares and packaging items from cellulosic materials to cope with the rapid growth of fast-food industry. In this work, scented biofilms with potent antimicrobial activity were prepared in a multi-step process assisted with the AFM. The biofilms comprised of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) physically crosslinked with different weight ratios of alkaline cellulose (Na-Cell) [PVA/Na-Cell]. Then, the effect of gamma irradiation on the surface features of the optimized sample (PVA/Na-Cell4) was verified at 5-25 KGy. The optimum film (PVA/Na-Cell4.20kGy) was fabricated with different weight ratios of essential clove oil (ECO). The biofilms were characterized by the AFM, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, and the DMA. The contact angle measurements of the optimized films reveal wettability resistance as following: PVA/Na-Cell4.0kGy (102.48 degrees) < PVA/Na-Cell4.20kGy (133.66)< PVA/Na-Cell4.ECO20kGy (140.62). The antimicrobial investigation displayed remarkable effect against different pathogens. Therefore, the claimed biofilms are excellent candidates for packaging application.

Automated summary

The study focuses on the manufacture of scented biofilms with antimicrobial activity from cellulosic materials. The biofilms were formed through a multi-step process assisted by AFM, using a blend of PVA and alkaline cellulose. The optimized film was prepared with the addition of essential clove oil and exhibited excellent wettability resistance and antimicrobial properties against various pathogens. These biofilms are considered a promising choice for packaging applications.