Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Microbial and Chemical Food Safety » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #409877
Research Project: Integration and Validation of Alternative and Multiple Intervention Technologies to Enhance Microbial Safety, Quality, and Shelf-life of Food

Location: Microbial and Chemical Food Safety

Title: Antimicrobial effects of pulsed light activated TiO2-Polylactic acid film

Author
item Jin, Zhonglin
item Fan, Xuetong
item Mukhopadhyay, Sudarsan

Submitted to: Heliyon
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2024
Publication Date: 10/30/2024
Citation: Jin, Z.T., Fan, X., Mukhopadhyay, S. 2024. Antimicrobial effects of pulsed light activated TiO2-Polylactic acid film. Heliyon. Volume 10, Issue 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38891.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38891

Interpretive Summary: Conventional food packaging materials usually do not possess antimicrobial properties and most of them are made of non-environmentally friendly materials. This study was to explore the feasibility of producing biodegradable antimicrobial packaging films activated by pulsed UV light (PL). The films were developed by incorporating Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles into the polylactic acid (PLA) polymer. TiO2 in PLA film significantly enhanced the antibacterial efficacy of PL treatment. After 5 second PL-activation, TiO2-PLA films reduced greater than 99% of E. coli and Listeria populations and were also able to maintain the antibacterial activity after the activation. This study demonstrates an approach to developing a new biodegradable and antimicrobial nanocomposite packaging material.

Technical Abstract: Biodegradable antimicrobial packaging films were developed by incorporating TiO2 nanoparticles into the polylactic acid (PLA) polymer. The antimicrobial activity of TiO2-PLA film was activated by normal fluorescent light and enhanced by pulsed UV light. The populations of Escherichia coli on TiO2 -PLA films were reduced by 2.0 log CFU/cm2 under fluorescent light for 48 h, while pulsed light (PL) treatment for 5 seconds achieved a 4.1 log-reduction. A 5 s PL treatment reduced E. coli populations on PLA film from 6.2 to 2.5 log CFU/cm2 and on TiO2-PLA film from 6.2 to 1.2 log CFU/cm2, indicating the combined antibacterial effect of PL and TiO2. Light-activated TiO2-PLA films maintained the antibacterial activity against E. coli and L. innocua for two hours after 5 s PL treatment, as the activated TiO2-PLA films were still able to reduce bacterial populations by up to 2.5 log CFU/cm2. This feasibility study demonstrates a new approach to developing a new biodegradable and antimicrobial nanocomposite packaging material and potential application in food packaging.