Nanobacterial Cellulose Production and Its Antibacterial Activity in Biodegradable Poly(vinyl alcohol) Membranes for Food Packaging Applications

Manu L Naik; Ashok M Sajjan; Ashwini M; Sharanappa Achappa; T M Yunus Khan; Nagaraj R Banapurmath; Prakash B Kalahal; Narasimha H Ayachit

doi:10.1021/acsomega.2c04336

Nanobacterial Cellulose Production and Its Antibacterial Activity in Biodegradable Poly(vinyl alcohol) Membranes for Food Packaging Applications

ACS Omega. 2022 Nov 17;7(48):43559-43573. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.2c04336. eCollection 2022 Dec 6.

Authors

Manu L Naik¹, Ashok M Sajjan^{1

2}, Ashwini M³, Sharanappa Achappa⁴, T M Yunus Khan⁵, Nagaraj R Banapurmath², Prakash B Kalahal¹, Narasimha H Ayachit²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, KLE Technological University, Hubballi580031, India.
² Center of Excellence in Material Science, KLE Technological University, Hubballi580031, India.
³ AICRP on EAAI (Bioconversion Technology), University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad580005, India.
⁴ Department of Biotechnology, KLE Technological University, Hubballi580031, India.
⁵ Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha61421, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Nanobacterial cellulose (NBC) was produced and incorporated into biodegradable poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in different weight ratios to obtain polymer nanocomposite membranes. The physicochemical properties of the membranes were studied using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, a universal testing machine (UTM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) techniques, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). FTIR confirmed the consolidation of NBC into PVA by exhibiting significant changes in the peaks compared to NBC and PVA individually. The highest tensile strength of 53.33 MPa and 235.30% elongation at break of the membrane M-10 mass % NBC was obtained, illuminating that NBC provides stiffness and PVA imparts elasticity. WAXD revealed that the crystalline nature of the membrane increases up to 10 mass % and decreases beyond it. The effect of NBC on the poly(vinyl alcohol) membranes for food packaging was investigated systematically. Among all the membranes, M-10 mass % NBC was found to be the most suitable for packaging applications. Membranes had antimicrobial activity against food microbes and showed degradability behavior in the soil. The tests on membranes for packaging revealed that fruits were protected from spoilage caused by microorganisms. Hence, the prepared membranes could be used as an alternative to conventional plastics for packaging applications.