Abstract
Alginates extracted from brown seaweed have a variety of prospective applications such as thickeners, stabilizers, or restructuring agents. Due to its properties as a natural polysaccharide, alginate is very potential to be used as edible films for food packaging purposes. Edible films are developed for food protection being excellent barriers to gases but not to moisture. Incorporation of antimicrobial agents into edible film formulation can extend product shelf life and reduce the risk of pathogenic bacterial growth on food. Therefore, this study was aimed to develop an alginate based antibacterial edible film. Antibacterial agent extracted from lemongrass leaves using ethanol was employed. The study was conducted by varying the addition levels of lemongrass ethanol extract to the alginate based edible films, i.e. 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%. Before being added to the alginate based edible films, the lemongrass ethanol extract was investigated for its antibacterial activity. The edible films obtained were analyzed in terms of physical, mechanical and chemical and microbiological parameters, including thickness, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), brightness, tensile strength, elongation, moisture content, water solubility and antibacterial activity. Results showed that the higher addition levels of lemongrass ethanol extract tended to produce alginate based edible films with lower WVTR and brightness value as well as higher elongation, moisture content and water solubility. Edible film added with lemongrass ethanol extract resulted in this study demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The addition of lemongrass alcohol extract at 0.5% was considered as a recommended concentration level for producing alginate based antibacterial edible films.
Highlights
Seaweed is an abundant source of hydrocolloids in Indonesia, both from cultivation and harvested from nature
Performance of alginate based antibacterial edible films were assessed in terms of physical, mechanical, chemical and antibacterial properties including thickness, water vapor transmission rate, brightness, tensile strength, elongation, moisture content, and water solubility, as well as antibacterial activity for S. aureus and E. coli
The results indicated that the lemongrass ethanol extract showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus, but did not show antibacterial activity against E. coli (Table 1)
Summary
Seaweed is an abundant source of hydrocolloids in Indonesia, both from cultivation and harvested from nature. The brown seaweed from Indonesia's coastal waters that have the potential to be processed into alginate are Sargassum sp., Turbinaria sp., Hormophysa sp., and Padina sp. Those four alginophyte species are still harvested from nature [1]. Use of Lemongrass Leaf Ethanol Extract for Developing Alginate Based Antibacterial Edible Films specific compounds as antioxidants, and antimicrobial materials are included in the edible films to extend their functionality and increase the food shelf-life [6]. The aims of this study were to explore the use of lemongrass leaves for developing alginate based antibacterial edible films. Lemongrass leaves meet the requirements to be explored to use as an antibacterial source in the development of alginate-based edible films
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