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Functional Properties of Plasticized Bio-Based Poly(Lactic Acid)_Poly(Hydroxybutyrate) (PLA_PHB) Films for Active Food Packaging

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Abstract

Fully bio-based and biodegradable active films based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blended with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and incorporating lactic acid oligomers (OLA) as plasticizers and carvacrol as active agent were extruded and fully characterized in their functional properties for antimicrobial active packaging. PLA_PHB films showed good barrier to water vapor, while the resistance to oxygen diffusion decreased with the addition of OLA and carvacrol. Their overall migration in aqueous food simulant was determined and no significant changes were observed by the addition of carvacrol and OLA to the PLA_PHB formulations. However, the effect of both additives in fatty food simulant can be considered a positive feature for the potential protection of foodstuff with high fat content. Moreover, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the proposed formulations increased by the presence of carvacrol, with enhanced activity against Staphylococcus aureus if compared to Escherichia coli at short and long incubation times. These results underlined the specific antimicrobial properties of these bio-films suggesting their applicability in active food packaging.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the SAMSUNG GRO PROGRAMME 2012 and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Ref. MAT2014-59242-C2-2-R and MAT2014-55778-REDT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Alicante, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain

    Nuria Burgos & Alfonso Jiménez

  2. Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Viale dell’Università, snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy

    Ilaria Armentano

  3. Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, UdR INSTM, University of Perugia, Strada di Pentima 4, 05100, Terni, Italy

    Elena Fortunati, Franco Dominici, Francesca Luzi & José M. Kenny

  4. Condensia Química, S.A. C/Junqueras, 16-11A, 08003, Barcelona, Spain

    Stefano Fiori

  5. Molecular Medicine Department (DMM), Center for Health Technologies (CHT), UdR INSTM, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 3/B, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Francesco Cristofaro & Livia Visai

  6. Department of Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Environmental Risks, Instituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri S.p.A, IRCCS, Via S. Boezio, 28 -, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Francesco Cristofaro & Livia Visai

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  1. Nuria Burgos
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  2. Ilaria Armentano
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Correspondence to Nuria Burgos.

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Burgos, N., Armentano, I., Fortunati, E. et al. Functional Properties of Plasticized Bio-Based Poly(Lactic Acid)_Poly(Hydroxybutyrate) (PLA_PHB) Films for Active Food Packaging. Food Bioprocess Technol 10, 770–780 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-016-1846-3

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