Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Food Hygiene, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
In this study, active packaging films based on quince seed mucilage and bacterial nanocellulose were developed with different concentrations of thyme essential oil (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%), and their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties were evaluated. The results of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) tests demonstrated that thyme essential oil exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes with an MIC of 0.45 μl/ml, while Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium showed higher resistance (MIC = 0.9 μl/ml). The MBC value for Staphylococcus aureus was 0.45 μl/ml, while for Salmonella Typhimurium, it was 1.8 μl/ml. Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the films revealed that the addition of the essential oil led to a concentration-dependent increase in the inhibition zone diameter, with the highest effect observed at 1.5% concentration against Staphylococcus aureus (17.9 mm). Assessment of antioxidant activity indicated that the addition of the essential oil increased free radical scavenging capacity from 13.63% (base film) to 51.26% at the highest essential oil concentration. The findings of this research demonstrate that films containing thyme essential oil, possessing significant antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, have suitable potential for use as active packaging in the food industry.
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