Modification of Poly(vinyl chloride) with Bio-Based Cassia Oil to Improve Thermo-Mechanical and Antimicrobial Properties

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to modify plasticised PVC to obtain a material with antimicrobial properties and selected mechanical properties. Natural cassia oil (CO) was used to modify plasticised PVC materials. The modified material was produced by extrusion. The introduced modifier had a maximum concentration of 20 phr. Rheological and mechanical properties were evaluated, and the glass transition temperature was determined. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the agar diffusion method was investigated by analysing the growth inhibition zones against Enterococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes. A favourable effect of the cassia oil content on the increase in antioxidant activity of the developed polymeric materials was found with an increase in the modifier content and the duration of action (30 days). The largest growth restriction zones were observed for L. monocytogenes, i.e., they showed the highest sensitivity to the modified material. The simultaneous decrease in modulus of elasticity, increase in elongation at break, and decrease in Tg indicate that the modifier has a plasticising effect on PVC. The developed material may find application as an active and/or functional material, especially as an emitter of antimicrobial agents, in the packaging used to store minimally processed food.

Elicitation as a Process of Enhancing Bioactive Compounds Concentration in Sprouts

“…Sprouts subjected to treatments that activate secondary metabolites pathways can also be a source of bioactive compounds dedicated to enriching other food products, used as pharmaceuticals, or used in other industries, e.g., in polymer processing as a source of compounds improving the thermal stability of plastics or as a compound in active or intelligent packaging [13,14,[39][40][41][42]. Nowadays, scientists are interested in improving polymer properties with essential oils, which, when incorporated into a polymer matrix or applied to a polymer film surface, can give new properties like antimicrobial or antioxidant features to the polymer [43,44]. Thermal stability can be enhanced by adding, e.g., lignin, curcuminoids, and eugenol [45][46][47].…”