Development of an antimicrobial photodynamic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) packaging film for food preservation

Abstract

In this study, a packaging film based on aloe emodin (AE)-incorporated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was developed. The film can inactivate contaminated bacteria through the photoactivation of aloe emodin under blue light (400 nm–500 nm). The fabrication process and key factors affecting the performance of the material were investigated. The results showed that the film exhibited high bactericidal effect against Escherichia coli with 4.7 ± 0.2 log reduction at the AE:PHBV ratio of 540.48 μg/g, and radiant fluence of 21.6 J/cm2. The addition of AE did not affect water contact angle, mechanical properties, and microscopic structure of the film. However, slight reduction in antimicrobial activity was observed after repeated treatments. The film was also tested on selected food surfaces including fresh-cut papaya, pork bologna, and epidermis surface of pork belly with noticeable bacterial inactivation. The developed film can be used as a novel active packaging material for food preservation.