Biodegradable film development by nisin Z addition into hydroxypropylmethylcellulose matrix for mozzarella cheese preservation

Abstract

Currently, improvement of food preservation has been a substantial challenge for industries to increase shelf-life of products and to maintain food quality during storage. These goals are often tied to the sustainable tendency for use of eco-friendly packaging to store these products without loss of the packaging features. Therefore, the aim of this study was to produce biodegradable antimicrobial films by the incorporation of nisin Z peptide under different concentrations (0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 20 % wt.) into hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) matrices. The active film properties were evaluated in terms of their antimicrobial capacity in vitro, mechanical performance and microscopic characteristics. Hence, active films containing 10 % (wt.) of nisin Z and control films were placed in contact with sliced mozzarella cheese for eight days, and microbiological growth was monitored during storage. Nisin Z’s antimicrobial effects were observed against the Gram-positive microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria innocua, regardless if the compound was free as a suspension or incorporated into HPMC matrices. However, the expected low action of nisin Z against Gram-negative bacteria, as reported in literature, was not observed since Salmonella enterica Choleraesuis’s growth was inhibited. Moreover, active films with added nisin Z (10 % wt.) were more effective than the control film to inhibit mesophilic microorganisms in mozzarella cheese during 8 days of storage. The mechanical properties of the films were not influenced by nisin Z incorporation, since the addition of the compound enhanced the active function without the loss of mechanical properties required for a good food packaging. These results suggest that biodegradable films produced by nisin Z addition into HPMC matrix are an excellent biomaterial for mozzarella cheese preservation.

Antimicrobial Active Packaging Containing Nisin for Preservation of Products of Animal Origin: An Overview

“…Biodegradable antimicrobial films based on HPMC (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose) incorporated with nisin Z were developed by Freitas et al (2020) [ 135 ] and applied to sliced mozzarella cheese. It was observed that nisin presented antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria innocua , but also inhibited gram-negative bacteria, such as Salmonella enterica .…”

A Review of Nonbiodegradable and Biodegradable Composites for Food Packaging Application

“…Biodegradable food packaging is one of the best efforts to solve the problems of nonbiodegradable-based counterpart as the latter tend to remain in the environment for hundreds of years [81]. Most authors have reported that the modification of biodegradable polymers displayed improvement in the mechanical, thermal, barrier, and antimicrobial properties while maintaining the stability and extending the shelf life of packaged foods such as fish, cheese, and fruits [82][83][84][85]. e utilization of biodegradable polymer seems to be a promising material for food packaging.…”