Using biopolymers functionalized with antibacterial agents to manufacture active packaging is a clean alternative to mitigate food losses due to postharvest plant diseases. In this study, two mycosynthetized AgNPs impregnation methodologies on cotton (cationization and in situ biochemical reduction) were used to obtain the antibacterial fibers (A-AgNPs-C and A-AgNPs-IBR), which, in addition to being characterized by SEM-EDX, XRD, were evaluated as antibacterial materials. The cotton fibers showed growth inhibition of Pectobacterium carotovorum at 48 h. The reuse tests of these cotton fibers showed that the two types of fibers could have up to three successive uses without losing their effectiveness, regardless of the impregnation method used. Is important to highlight that the retention tests indicated that the AgNPs remain attached to the A-AgNPs-C and A-AgNPs-IBR fibers after several successive washes. Finally, the mycosynthesized AgNPs were also impregnated on fique fibers (Fique-AgNPs) by cationization to obtain little antibacterial sacks. Nanostructured materials that in in vivo tests on potatoes showed only 7.8 % of affectation, while the tubers stored in the traditional sacks had an affectation of 25 %. This immobilization of AgNPs in natural fibers will allow the development of a nanobiotechnological application in the storage and transport of potatoes, after performing some additional cytotoxicity tests to guarantee its safety.
Keywords: Antibacterial fibers; Fungi; Potato soft rot; Silver nanoparticles; Vegetable fibers.
© 2023 The Authors.