Antibacterial Activity of Biodegradable Plastic from Chromolaena odorata (Pokok Kapal Terbang) Leaves

Abstract

The aim of this research project was to develop antimicrobial films from blends of C. odorata and PVA and test the films for microbial activity using broth dilution methods for Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria. The result shows that CO/PVA80 successfully inhibit the growth of target bacteria. In antibacterial activity analysis, CO/PVA80 showed 50% higher compare with pure PVA film, PVA100. Other than that, the high percentage of PVA in the blend films, the greater the thickness, Tensile Strength (TS) and Young's Modulus (YM), while the Elongation Break (EB) of the prepared films decreased. The 0.5 mm CO/PVA80 film shows a good result in mechanical properties which is TS 6.55 MPa, YM 182 MPa and EB is 7.47%. A CO/PVA80 were show a smooth texture, lacked of macropore and good characteristic with a SEM analysis. These results suggest that CO/PVA80 films have good compatibility to form an antimicrobial film as a new material for medical application especially for wound healing.