Abstract
With the increased scientific interest in green technologies, many researches have been focused on the production of polymeric composites containing naturally occurring reinforcing particles. Apart from increasing mechanical properties, these additions can have a wide range of interesting effects, such as increasing the resistance to bacterial and fungal colonization. In this work, different amounts of two different natural products, namely neem and turmeric, were added to polyethylene to act as a natural antibacterial and antifungal product for food packaging applications. Microscopic and spectroscopic characterization showed that fractions of up to 5% of these products could be dispersed into low-molecular weight polyethylene, while higher amounts could not be properly dispersed and resulted in an inhomogeneous, fragile composite. In vitro testing conducted with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans showed a reduced proliferation of pathogens when compared to the polyethylene references. In particular, turmeric resulted in being more effective against E. coli when compared to neem, while they had similar performances against S. aureus. Against C. albicans, only neem was able to show a good antifungal behavior, at high concentrations. Tensile testing showed that the addition of reinforcing particles reduced the mechanical properties of polyethylene, and in the case of turmeric, it was further reduced by UV irradiation.
Highlights
IntroductionControl and Prevention report that one in six Americans suffer from foodborne illnesses, such as Salmonella, Norovirus, Listeria, and Escherichia coli each year [1], resulting in about 3000 deaths [2]
Foodborne illnesses are a serious problem worldwide
The presence of reinforcing particles up to 5%
Summary
Control and Prevention report that one in six Americans suffer from foodborne illnesses, such as Salmonella, Norovirus, Listeria, and Escherichia coli each year [1], resulting in about 3000 deaths [2]. Annual reports of food poisoning cases around the world can be correlated with various factors such as climate [4], average income [5], and food miles [6]. A survey conducted on food handlers in the plantation sector of Sri Lanka in 2016 showed that only about 60% of the 375 interviewed had good knowledge of food practice and hygiene, and these results could be well correlated with the levels of education [8]. Similar issues were observed at supermarkets and stores around Europe and in the United States [10]
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