Construction of EVA/chitosan based PEG-PCL micelles nanocomposite films with controlled release of iprodione and its application in pre-harvest treatment of grapes

Abstract

A novel nanocomposite poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) film with controlled in vitro release of iprodione (ID) was prepared. Chitosan (CS) was used as the reinforcement which enhances the water and oxygen permeability of films. ID loaded poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG-PCL) (IPP) micelles were used as the drug carrier which endows the films with antifungal and controlled release ability. IPP micelles with spherical shape and uniform size were obtained, and the maximum encapsulation efficacy (EE) was 91.17 ± 5.03% by well controlling the feeding amount of ID. Incorporation CS could improve the oxygen and moisture permeability of films, and the maximum oxygen permeability (OP) and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) were 477.84 ± 13.03 cc/(m²·d·0.1 MPa) and 8.60 ± 0.25 g m^-2 d^-1, respectively. After loading IPP micelles, the films showed an improved antifungal ability and temperature-sensitive drug release behavior, and were found to enhance the quality of grapes by pre-harvest spraying.

Keywords: Controlled release; Nanocomposite; PEG-PCL micelles; Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) film; Pre-harvest treatment.