Antimicrobial Poly(lactic acid)-Based Nanofibres Developed by Solution Blow Spinning.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Developing novel materials with enhanced properties is crucial for various applications.
• Bacterial cellulose nanowhiskers (BCNW) offer unique structural and functional attributes.
• Antimicrobial agents are essential for preventing microbial contamination and infection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop hybrid poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fibers incorporating bacterial cellulose nanowhiskers (BCNW).
• To create antimicrobial PLA/BCNW fibers using carvacrol and THC.
• To evaluate the biocide effect against Listeria monocytogenes and optimize fiber properties.

Main Methods:

• Solution blow spinning technique for fabricating PLA/BCNW hybrid fibers.
• Optimization of BCNW loading (15 wt.-%) for uniform fiber morphology.
• Incorporation of carvacrol and THC as antimicrobial agents, with gelatin to enhance release.

Main Results:

• BCNW addition increased solution viscosity and surface tension, limiting fiber formation above 30 wt.-%.
• 15 wt.-% BCNW yielded homogeneous fiber morphology with uniformly distributed nanowhiskers.
• Hydrophobic PLA matrix hindered antimicrobial release; hydrophilic additives (gelatin) improved it.
• BCNW alone did not significantly boost antimicrobial capacity, but enhanced THC's efficacy with gelatin.

Conclusions:

• Hybrid PLA/BCNW fibers were successfully developed using solution blow spinning.
• Antimicrobial properties were conferred using carvacrol and THC, with gelatin enhancing release.
• Optimized fibers show potential for applications requiring antimicrobial activity, particularly with THC and BCNW synergy.