Nuclear chemistry

Engineering

Nanoparticle

Antimicrobial

Materials science

Elongation

Ultimate tensile strength

Essential oil

Silver nanoparticle

Chemical engineering

Food science

Polymer

Lippia

Biopolymer

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Antioxidant

Composite material

Chemistry

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Carbohydrate Polymers

Methylcellulose is a biopolymer, which can be used in the preparation of films for the production of biodegradable active packaging. In this work, the methylcellulose films containing biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were developed using Lippia alba extract. The physico-chemical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of the films were studied. The insertion of Lippia alba compounds was verified using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), with the appearance of a band at 1595 cm−1 and 1410 cm−1 which is characteristic of CCC stretches of the aromatic ring, and the increase in the hydrophobicity of the films containing the extract in relation to the control film. The films containing AgNPs presented a decrease in tensile strength and elastic modulus, but increased elongation. It was observed that the films that contain AgNPs presented superior antioxidant activity compared to the other films, besides antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial methylcellulose films containing Lippia alba extract and silver nanoparticles