Coconut husk, rubberwood sawdust, and palm leaf base are cellulosic agricultural wastes that have potential to be processed to fiber as absorbing material. This study investigated characteristics (morphological, physiological properties, chemical composition, absorption capacity, and water absorption isotherms) of coconut, rubberwood, and palm fiber. Also, the study aimed to develop an antimicrobial sachet packaging to resist against foodborne pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli) by adding lime oil (LO) emulsion or Litsea cubeba (LC) oil at 50 to 700 µL into the material (1 g) before, and then dried and placed in the 1-L seal box. Results showed that among the three, coconut performed the best in terms of releasing the essential oil (EO) emulsion against bacteria. Coconut could adsorb and release volatile LO or LC at the lowest concentrations (LO, 500 µL/L; LC, 300 µL/L) to inhibit bacteria compared with the other fibers (700 µL/L) at 35 °C. Results indicated that coconut has a low water absorption rate, which influenced the faster adsorption of EO emulsion in the beginning of the process; therefore, using low concentrations of EO in coconut for bacterial inhibition is possible. Coconut contains 34.5% lignin, 68.7% holocellulose, 37.6% cellulose, and 31.2% hemicellulose. Coconut is suitable as an alternative to the biocomposite material in developing a new antimicrobial packaging design.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of soaking lettuce seeds in a lime oil emulsion at 0 (control), 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 μl/ml before growing them in a hydroponic plantation. After harvesting baby lettuce at Day 21, all lettuce was kept inside the refrigerator (4 ± 2 C) for the next 7 days. The microbiological quality and the antioxidant properties of lettuce were also investigated. The results revealed that while lime oil emulsion at 10 μl/ml had no effect on seed germination, it delayed the growth of black spot molds and reduced the incidence and severity of black spot fungal disease in baby lettuce by around 87.5%. The morphology of Alternaria sp. and Cercospora sp. shows ruptured conidia and shriveled and damaged mycelium, with a decrease in fungal infection in baby lettuce. In addition, α-terpineol (~53%) was identified from treated baby lettuce after 21 days that was able to inhibit growth of molds. Regarding the microbial eating quality of baby lettuce, mesophiles (~3.0 log 10 CFU/g), psychrophiles (~3.6 log 10 CFU/g), total coliforms (~1.3 log 10 CFU/g), total yeast and mold (~2.0 log 10 CFU/g) and lactic acid bacteria (~3.7 log 10 CFU/g) were significantly reduced in the treated lettuce. The antioxidant capacity in the treated lettuce was higher than the control and maintained stability without affecting its leafy green color and chlorophyll content. This finding is critical for horticulture, particularly in hydroponic vegetable farming. It can be applied in food safety from farm to fork.
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