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Alginate Edible Films Containing Essential Oils: Characterization and Bioactive Potential

Summary

Scientists created edible films made from alginate (a natural material from seaweed) mixed with essential oils from plants like oregano, thyme, and rosemary. These films could replace plastic packaging for food and have natural antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The oregano oil film worked best, completely stopping the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi while protecting food from oxidative damage.

Background

Essential oils are natural substances rich in phenolic compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, but they have limitations including low stability and bioavailability. Incorporating essential oils into polymeric films offers a novel approach to overcome these challenges while enhancing efficacy. Alginate is a biopolymer widely used in edible film formation due to its excellent gel-forming properties and safety profile.

Objective

To produce and thoroughly characterize alginate-based edible films incorporated with five different essential oils—rosemary, eucalyptus, oregano, sage, and thyme. To evaluate their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and assess their potential as biodegradable alternatives to conventional packaging materials.

Results

Alginate films containing essential oils exhibited significant bioactive properties. The oregano essential oil film completely inhibited growth of all tested bacteria and fungi with highest antioxidant activity. Thyme, eucalyptus, and sage oils showed varying degrees of antimicrobial activity. A negative correlation was observed between film thickness and antimicrobial/antioxidant activity.

Conclusion

Alginate films containing essential oils demonstrate promising bioactive potential as biodegradable alternatives to conventional packaging materials. The oregano oil-containing film showed the most potent antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. Further studies are necessary to assess safety profile, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and practical application in food matrices before commercial implementation.
  • Published in:Polymers (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 40362972, DOI: 10.3390/polym17091188
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