Development of Bioactive Polymeric Materials by Incorporation of Essential/Vegetal Oils into Biopolymer Matrices

Abstract

Microbial contamination represents an undesirable event in various domains. Bioactive natural compounds possess plenty of health benefits, including antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidative activity; however, they are chemically unstable and susceptible to oxidative degradation. In this context, encapsulation or immobilization methods play a key role in enhancing efficiency. Therefore, in this paper are presented some results regarding the development of antimicrobial polymeric materials using surface-modification and emulsion-stabilization approaches. Two polymeric substrates, one biodegradable, poly(lactic acid), and one non-biodegradable polyethylene, functionalized by γ-irradiation have been modified with different active compounds in order to obtain bioactive food packaging materials. The bioactive agents (clove essential oil and argan vegetal oil) were incorporated into a biopolymer matrix (chitosan) then immobilized on the surface of the functionalized substrates by a wet-treatment involving carbodiimide chemistry. The resulted materials were physico-chemically characterized in order to evaluate the molecular interactions between the natural bioactive compounds and polymeric matrix, the stability of the immobilized surface layer, and their barrier properties. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were also evaluated. Moreover, the surface biofunctionalized polymeric substrates were tested as potential packaging materials for cheese preservation. The obtained materials have demonstrated improved barrier properties, good antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which lead to a delay of the tested food spoilage.

Special Features of Polyester-Based Materials for Medical Applications

“…Antimicrobial polyester materials with a functionalized PLA substrate were produced by using surface modification under γ-irradiation (doses of 10, 20, and 30 kGy), and emulsion-stabilization approaches. Two bioactive agents, namely clove essential oil and argan vegetal oil, were incorporated into chitosan, then immobilized on the surface of the functionalized PLA by a wet treatment involving carbodiimide chemistry [ 224 ]. Melt processing, another technique, was used by Darie-Nita et al [ 225 ] to develop PLA-based antimicrobial and antioxidant materials containing bioplasticizers, as well as active agents such as vitamin E and cold-pressed rosehip seed oil encapsulated into chitosan by the emulsion method.…”

Encapsulation of Natural Bioactive Compounds by Electrospinning—Applications in Food Storage and Safety

“…There are several methods to encapsulate/protect these sensitive natural bioactive antioxidants/antibacterials (including phenolic compounds, etc.) in food packaging for active compound delivery: films [76][77][78], microencapsulation via the spray-drying (wall materials that suitably protect the inner EOs from oxidation and evaporation) [79], nanoprecipitation [80], but recently, electrohydrodynamic processes [81] "electrospinning" [82] and "electrospraying" [83,84] have received increased attention due to their versatility, cost-effectiveness, and scalable technologies [85][86][87][88].…”

Bioactive and Physico-Chemical Assessment of Innovative Poly(lactic acid)-Based Biocomposites Containing Sage, Coconut Oil, and Modified Nanoclay

“…Antimicrobial materials were designed using complex emulsion-stabilization approaches. A functionalized PLA substrate was first produced under γ-irradiation (doses of 10 kGy, 20 kGy, and 30 kGy), and bioactive agents such as clove essential oil and argan vegetal oil were incorporated into chitosan that was further immobilized on the surface of the functionalized PLA by a wet treatment involving carbodiimide chemistry [ 9 ]. Active agents such as vitamin E and cold-pressed rosehip seed oil were encapsulated into chitosan by the emulsion method and bioplasticizers were incorporated into PLA to develop antimicrobial and antioxidant materials by melt processing [ 10 ].…”