Electrospun Antimicrobial Films of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-<i>co</i>-3-hydroxyvalerate) Containing Eugenol Essential Oil Encapsulated in Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
Beatriz Melendez-Rodriguez,
Kelly J. Figueroa-Lopez,
Andrea Bernardos,
Ramón Martínez-Máñez,
Luis Cabedo,
Sergio Torres-Giner,
Jose M. Lagaron
Affiliations
Beatriz Melendez-Rodriguez
Novel Materials and Nanotechnology Group, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Spain
Kelly J. Figueroa-Lopez
Novel Materials and Nanotechnology Group, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Spain
Andrea Bernardos
Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Universitat de València (UV), camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Ramón Martínez-Máñez
Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Universitat de València (UV), camí de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Luis Cabedo
Polymers and Advanced Materials Group (PIMA), Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain
Sergio Torres-Giner
Novel Materials and Nanotechnology Group, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Spain
Jose M. Lagaron
Novel Materials and Nanotechnology Group, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Calle Catedrático Agustín Escardino Benlloch 7, 46980 Paterna, Spain
The main goal of this study was to develop poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) films with long-term antimicrobial capacity of interest in food packaging applications. To this end, eugenol was first highly efficiently encapsulated at 50 wt.-% in the pores of mesoporous silica nanoparticles by vapor adsorption. The eugenol-containing nanoparticles were then loaded in the 2.5⁻20 wt.-% range into PHBV by electrospinning and the resultant electrospun composite fibers were annealed at 155 °C to produce continuous films. The characterization showed that the PHBV films filled with mesoporous silica nanoparticles containing eugenol present sufficient thermal resistance and enhanced mechanical strength and barrier performance to water vapor and limonene. The antimicrobial activity of the films was also evaluated against foodborne bacteria for 15 days in open vs. closed conditions in order to simulate real packaging conditions. The electrospun PHBV films with loadings above 10 wt.-% of mesoporous silica nanoparticles containing eugenol successfully inhibited the bacterial growth, whereas the active films stored in hermetically closed systems increased their antimicrobial activity after 15 days due to the volatile portion accumulated in the system’s headspace and the sustained release capacity of the films. The resultant biopolymer films are, therefore, potential candidates to be applied in active food packaging applications to provide shelf life extension and food safety.
