A series of biodegradable active films based on various cellulose derivatives was prepared. Films were loaded with propionic acid (PA), a volatile antimicrobial agent. The effect of β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) in the films' composition on the capacity and long term release of PA was studied. In addition, the influence of β-CD and PA on the biodegradable films’ mechanical, physical and morphological properties was examined. It was found that by adding β-CD, the films' capacity was effectively enhanced up to a ten-fold. β-CD has also shown to yield a longer release of PA from the films, prolonging their applicative use. β-CD and PA were found to exert a synergistic effect on each other in the polymer matrix. The combination of the two allowed the formation of biodegradable active films that benefit good physical and mechanical properties as well as a high content and effective release of an antimicrobial component. This behavior was further investigated as the inclusion complex between the two was examined in a variety of spectroscopic, thermodynamic, crystallographic and computational methods. Despite being previously described in the literature as impossible to form, this inclusion complex, which embodies the system’s core chemical feature, was found not only to form, but also to follow a previously unreported complexation mode.

Controlling antimicrobial agents' release: Natural polymer-based encapsulation systems

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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