Affiliation:
1. Department of Food Technology and Assessment, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska St. 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
2. Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
3. Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Warsaw, Litewska 14/16, 00-575 Warsaw, Poland
Abstract
Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biodegradable polymer resembling paper after being dried. It finds a growing number of applications in many branches of industry and in medicine. In the present study, BC was produced after Gluconacetobacter hansenii ATCC 23769 strain culture and used as a matrix for plant extracts (tulsi, brahmi, lemon, blackberry, nettle root, and nettle leave) and essential oils (cinnamon, sage, clove, mint, thyme, lemongrass, rosemary, lemon, anise, tea tree, lime, grapefruit, and tangerine), and the antimicrobial properties of these biomaterials was determined. The growth-inhibiting effects of plant extracts and essential oils combined with BC were analyzed against five Cronobacter species isolated from food matrix and two reference strains from the ATCC (513229 and 29544). Additional analyses were conducted for BC water activity and for its capability to absorb biologically active plant compounds. The cellulose matrix with a 50% extract from brahmi was found to effectively inhibit the growth of the selected Cronobacter strains. The other plant water extracts did not show any antimicrobial activity against the tested strains. It was demonstrated that BC soaked with thyme essential oil was characterized with the strongest antimicrobial activity in comparison to the other tested EOs. These study results indicate the feasibility of deploying BC impregnated with natural plant components as an active and environmentally-friendly packaging material.
Funder
Research network of life science universities for the development of the Polish dairy sector—research project