Production of zeolite-cellulose nanocomposites with garlic essential oil for antimicrobial tablets

Abstract

Garlic essential oil is one of the natural antimicrobial agents which has a broad spectrum of inhibition against microbes. However, if directly applied to the packaging material, it will affect the tensile strength of the packaging. In order to overcome the weakness, this study has produced an antimicrobial active packaging with the concept of a headspace food system, the principle of this packaging is the adsorption of active compounds on a carrier material that can release them slowly. Garlic essential oil was adsorbed on zeolite nanofiber cellulose tablet composites. The effect of adding cellulose nanofibers to tablets has been investigated. The effectiveness of tablet composites was assessed by conducting a release test which was carried out by calculating the weight reduction of tablet composites every day for six days. Based on the release test, the addition of 3% nanofiber cellulose to the composite has a reliable ability to slow the release of garlic essential oil. Antimicrobial inhibition of e coli and s typhi bacteria was also tested using the agar diffusion method. Tablet composites with the addition of 3% nanofiber cellulose have a very strong inhibitory power against e coli bacteria and have moderate inhibition against s typhi bacteria