Antimicrobial and Mechanical Properties of Jackfruit Seed Starch-based Films Containing Carvacrol

Abstract

The demand for the development of a biodegradable antimicrobial packaging system from food wastes continues to grow because of food safety issues and the negative environmental impact brought about by synthetic plastics. In this study, a jackfruit seed starch-carrageenan (JSS-CG) blend film containing carvacrol was prepared. The antimicrobial capacity of the films against Staphylococcus aureus BIOTECH 1582 was evaluated by disk diffusion assay. Results revealed that zones of inhibition increased with the increase in carvacrol concentration. The optimum concentration of carvacrol for inhibiting the growth of S. aureus was 10% with a zone of inhibition of 19.67 mm. Furthermore, the film effectively controlled the growth of S. aureus in cheese stored at 28 °C. The microbial count of cheese decreased with storage time. Log reductions of 0.24, 0.56 and 0.66 were recorded after 12, 24 and 36 h of storage, respectively. The film exhibited a tensile strength of 12.03 MPa and an elongation at break of 72.55% based on the mechanical test. This study suggests that JSS-CG film containing carvacrol has potential as a food packaging material with desirable antimicrobial and mechanical properties.