Antimicrobial Potential of Chitosan Films Incorporated with Alcoholic Extract from Mimosa tenuiflora Leaves

Antimicrobial films were prepared with chitosan containing the methanolic extract of M. tenuiflora leaves (FECT20 %, FECT30 %, and FECT40 %), and their antimicrobial activities were evaluated by agar diffusion. The films were characterized by IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and TG/DTG curves. TG/DTG curves showed thermal stability of chitosan-extract films up to 166 °C. Micrographs of chitosan-extract films revealed an increase in porosity with the addition of extract. The FECT40 % film showed inhibition zone diameters (IZ) against Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and B. cereus, ranging from 1.0±0.02 to 0.72±0.09 cm. Only FECT30 % and FECT40 % inhibited the P. aeruginosa with IZs of 0.68±0.02 and 0.77±0.06 cm, respectively. In turn, the extract showed inhibition against B. subtilis and B. cereus, with IZs values of 0.92±0.2 cm and 0.72±0.05 cm, respectively. Additionally, the crude extract presented antioxidant potential with inhibition percentages of 32.74 %±0.90 for ABTS and 27.04 %±1.36 for DPPH. The antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the crude extract, as well as the antimicrobial property of chitosan-extract films, suggests the potential of these biopolymers for the development of wound healing bandages and new food packaging alternatives.