Plasma technologies, improving surface properties of materials without changing mass properties, offer promising potential applications in food packaging. In this paper, the immobilization of the antimicrobial peptide lactoferricin (LFcinB) to the surface of polypropylene microtubes was evaluated. Polypropylene was coated with a thin plasma deposited Ethylene/Acrylic Acid (pdEthAA) film via Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PE-CVD) in order to obtain a surface rich in carboxyl groups. LFcinB immobilization was obtained after pdEthAA activation and/or galactosamine reaction. The presence of LFcinB was verified by XPS analysis while the antimicrobial activity was assayed against Escherichia coli K12. In accordance with XPS data, a higher antimicrobial activity was found in samples functionalized with pdEthAA/LFcinB compared to pdEthAA/Gal/LFcinB, with a reduction of viable cell counts up to a maximum of 1.06 log cfu/mL in the first 8 hours of incubation. A LFcinB functionalized coating could be useful for developing an antimicrobial packaging although PE-CVD improvement deposition needs further studies in order to increase antimicrobial efficiency.
Le tecnologie plasmochimiche offrono promettenti potenzialità applicative negli imballaggi alimentari, in quanto consentono di migliorare le proprietà superficiali dei materiali senza modificarne le proprietà massive. In questo lavoro è stato valutato un protocollo per l'immobilizzazione del peptide antimicrobico lattoferricina (LFcinB) alla superficie di microprovette di polipropilene. Il polipropilene è stato ricoperto con un film sottile di plasma deposited Ethylene/Acrylic Acid (PP/pdEthAA) via Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PE-CVD) al fine di ottenere una superficie ricca di gruppi carbossilici. L'immobilizzazione del peptide antimicrobico LFcinB è stata ottenuta dopo attivazione dei gruppi funzionali del PP/pdEthAA e/o trattamento con galattosamina (PP/pdEthAA/Gal). La presenza di LFcinB è stata verificata mediante analisi XPS mentre la sua attività antimicrobica è stata saggiata usando il ceppo indicatore Escherichia coli K12. La maggiore attività antimicrobica è stata registrata nei campioni funzionalizzati con pdEthAA/LFcinB con una riduzione di crescita fino ad un massimo di 1,06 log ufc/mL nelle prime 8 ore di incubazione. Lo sviluppo di un coating funzionalizzato con LFcinB risulta promettente per lo sviluppo di imballaggi antimicrobici sebbene siano necessari ulteriori studi finalizzati al miglioramento dei protocolli di deposizione via PE-CVD per aumentare l'efficienza antimicrobica.
Impiego della tecnologia al plasma nell'immobilizzazione di lattoferricina per lo sviluppo di packaging alimentari
L QUINTIERI;F BARUZZI;P FAVIA;L CAPUTO
2014
Abstract
Plasma technologies, improving surface properties of materials without changing mass properties, offer promising potential applications in food packaging. In this paper, the immobilization of the antimicrobial peptide lactoferricin (LFcinB) to the surface of polypropylene microtubes was evaluated. Polypropylene was coated with a thin plasma deposited Ethylene/Acrylic Acid (pdEthAA) film via Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PE-CVD) in order to obtain a surface rich in carboxyl groups. LFcinB immobilization was obtained after pdEthAA activation and/or galactosamine reaction. The presence of LFcinB was verified by XPS analysis while the antimicrobial activity was assayed against Escherichia coli K12. In accordance with XPS data, a higher antimicrobial activity was found in samples functionalized with pdEthAA/LFcinB compared to pdEthAA/Gal/LFcinB, with a reduction of viable cell counts up to a maximum of 1.06 log cfu/mL in the first 8 hours of incubation. A LFcinB functionalized coating could be useful for developing an antimicrobial packaging although PE-CVD improvement deposition needs further studies in order to increase antimicrobial efficiency.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.