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Enzyme- and Relative Humidity-Responsive Antimicrobial Fibers for Active Food Packaging
Zeynep Aytac1, Jie Xu1, Suresh Kumar Raman Pillai2
1Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 14, 2021
Summary
Novel biodegradable antimicrobial fibers respond to enzymes and humidity, precisely releasing active ingredients to protect food packaging. These smart fibers significantly reduce harmful bacteria and fungi, enhancing food safety.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Food Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Active food packaging requires sustainable, biodegradable materials for precise antimicrobial delivery.
- Existing solutions often lack responsiveness or controlled release mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel enzyme- and relative humidity (RH)-responsive antimicrobial fibers for active food packaging.
- To create biodegradable fibers capable of controlled release of natural antimicrobials.
Main Methods:
- Electrospinning of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), zein, and starch to form fibers.
- Incorporation of free antimicrobials and cyclodextrin-inclusion complexes (CD-ICs) of antimicrobials.
- Characterization using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry.
Main Results:
- Developed stimuli-responsive fibers (225 ± 50 nm) releasing free active ingredients (AIs) via enzyme degradation and CD-ICs via high RH.
- Confirmed AI release triggered by microorganism-exudated enzymes and 95% RH.
- Demonstrated significant reduction of *Escherichia coli*, *Listeria innocua*, and *Aspergillus fumigatus* populations.
Conclusions:
- Biodegradable, nontoxic antimicrobial fibers offer precise, stimuli-responsive AI delivery for active packaging.
- The developed fibers show significant potential for enhancing food safety and extending shelf life.
- Multistimuli-responsive systems represent a promising advancement in smart food packaging technology.
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