Novel biodegradable antimicrobial film and its suitability as food contact material against Campylobacter spp.

Aguerri, Laura ; Pérez-Bondía, Estela (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Lóbez, Silvia (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Leonardi, Frédéric ; Almeida, Filomena

Resumen: Our study focused on developing biodegradable active films with antibacterial properties against pathogenic Campylobacter spp. For that purpose, an inclusion complex (IC) synthesized with β-cyclodextrin and benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) was incorporated by extrusion into polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polylactic acid (PLA), at 2.5 and 5 %, and films were prepared by hot-pressing. The anti-Campylobacter effect was assessed by direct contact and in vapour phase. The IC alone exhibited strong antibacterial activity comparable to pure BITC. PHB_IC films showed good antibacterial performance, achieving total inhibition of C. jejuni at 2.5 % and C. coli at 5 %, and yielding inhibition halos up to 50 mm in vapour phase. Contrarily, PLA_IC films showed no antibacterial effect, and BITC was not detected, likely due to differences in polymer matrix or extrusion conditions. To further investigate the use of these films as food contact materials, migration tests into food simulants were conducted. Volatile and non-volatile compounds were identified by GC-MS and UPLC-QTOF-MS, with most being intentionally added and only three detected as non-intentionally added substances. Overall, the developed PHB-based material showed strong anti-Campylobacter spp., no detectable migrants from the IC, and industrial scalability, supporting its potential for active food packaging, although further studies are needed.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2026.119532

Año: 2026

Publicado en: LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 251 (2026), 119532 [13 pp.]
ISSN: 0023-6438

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/TED2021-129138B-C21
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2021-128089OB-I00

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Química Analítica (Dpto. Química Analítica)
Área (Departamento): L.T. Envase Alimentario (Líneas de Transferencia)