Antimicrobial Effect of Chitosan Films on Food Spoilage Bacteria

Abstract

Synthetic materials commonly used in the packaging industry generate a considerable amount of waste each year. Chitosan is a promising feedstock for the production of functional biomaterials. From a biological point of view, chitosan is very attractive for food packaging. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the antibacterial activity of a set of chitosan-metal oxide films and different chitosan-modified graphene (oxide) films against two foodborne pathogens: Campylobacter jejuni ATCC 33560 and Listeria monocytogenes 19115. Moreover, we wanted to check whether the incorporation of antimicrobial constituents such as TiO2, ZnO, Fe2O3, Ag, and graphene oxide (GO) into the polymer matrices can improve the antibacterial properties of these nanocomposite films. Finally, this research helps elucidate the interactions of these materials with eukaryotic cells. All chitosan-metal oxide films and chitosan-modified graphene (oxide) films displayed improved antibacterial (C. jejuni ATCC 33560 and L. monocytogenes 19115) properties compared to native chitosan films. The CS-ZnO films had excellent antibacterial activity towards L. monocytogenes (90% growth inhibition). Moreover, graphene-based chitosan films caused high inhibition of both tested strains. Chitosan films with graphene (GO, GOP, GOP-HMDS, rGO, GO-HMDS, rGOP), titanium dioxide (CS-TiO2 20:1a, CS-TiO2 20:1b, CS-TiO2 2:1, CS-TiO2 1:1a, CS-TiO2 1:1b) and zinc oxide (CS-ZnO 20:1a, CS-ZnO 20:1b) may be considered as a safe, non-cytotoxic packaging materials in the future.

CuO-TiO2-Chitosan-Berbamine Nanocomposites Induce Apoptosis through the Mitochondrial Pathway with the Expression of P53, BAX, and BCL-2 in the Human K562 Cancer Cell Line

“…These approaches are useful in improving each component's technological and mechanical properties while also revealing new functionalities. Inorganic materials like titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) are currently being used in combination with natural polymers like chitosan (CS) to create composites (CS-TiO 2 ) with beneficial properties [ 16 , 17 ]. Chitosan (CS) is a naturally occurring biopolymer that is a linear polysaccharide containing amino-deoxy-D-glucans that are linked with 1–4 linkage that is formed by deacetylating chitin, the major structural component of crustacean exoskeletons [ 18 ].…”

“…CS is a physiologically active molecule that possesses several fascinating features. It can be used to create edible coatings, packaging, and drug-eluting carriers for food and medicinal applications [ 16 , 19 ].…”

Chitosan–ZnO nanocomposite coating for inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes on the surface and within white brined cheese

“…Recently, Wronska et al. (2021) reported that incorporation of ZnO into chitosan film had enhanced antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes . Further, chitosan coating containing 0.05–0.1% ZnO NPs prolonged the shelf‐life of meatballs by reducing the numbers of total aerobic microorganisms up to 48 h at 25°C (Mustika & Wardana, 2020).…”

Extraction, Characterization, and In Vivo Antimicrobial Activity of Chitosan Derived from the Egyptian Shrimp (Metapenaeopsis Stridulans) Wastes

“…Food biopreservation is one of the possible applications of chitosan in food. Several studies have reported the significant antibacterial effect of chitosan or its conjugates against many foodborne and spoilage microorganisms (Huang et al, 2004;Möller et al, 2004;Wu et al, 2004;Yang et al, 2005;Huang et al, 2007;Li et al, 2007;Ganan et al, 2009;Alfaifi et al, 2020;Wrońska et al, 2021). The antibacterial activity of chitosan may be attributed to the linkage between the electronegative charges of the bacterial cell surface and the amino groups of chitosan, leading to the leakage of intracellular components (Li & Zhuang, 2020).…”