Designing an antimicrobial edible film based on calcium pectinate containing essential oil and aqueous extract of red pepper

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Food Hygiene and Qualty Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Ira

2 Ph.D. student, Department of Food Hygiene, University of Tehran, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Food Hygiene, University of Tehran, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran, Iran.

4 Semnan

Abstract

Edible films have gained significant attention as carriers of antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds. Essential oils and aqueous extracts of red pepper, known for their antimicrobial properties in food systems, can be incorporated into the matrix of edible films. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of calcium pectinate edible films containing essential oil and aqueous extract of red pepper against four major foodborne pathogenic bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli (O157:H7), and Salmonella enteritidis, using the disc diffusion method. Disks with a diameter of 9 mm were prepared from calcium pectinate-based films containing 0.5% and 1% essential oil and 2% aqueous extract of red pepper and placed under sterile conditions on pre-inoculated BHI agar plates. The diameter of the inhibition zones was considered as an indicator of the antimicrobial activity of the films. Statistical analysis was performed using Sigma Plot software. The results demonstrated that the designed films effectively inhibited the tested pathogens. Composites containing red pepper essential oil exhibited a remarkable ability to restrict the growth of foodborne pathogenic bacteria at both concentrations. However, the film containing only 0.5% essential oil did not form an inhibition zone against Salmonella enteritidis, indicating no inhibitory effect at this concentration. Additionally, the addition of aqueous extract of red pepper further enhanced the antibacterial properties of the essential oil-containing films. These findings suggest that essential oil and aqueous extract of red pepper can be employed as natural preservatives in calcium pectinate edible films for food packaging applications.

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Journal of Veterinary Laboratory Research
Volume 15, Issue 2 - Serial Number 24
September 2023
Pages 191-201

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