Development of PLA films containing oregano essential oil (Origanum vulgare L. virens) intended for use in food packaging

ABSTRACT

Consumers’ concerns about the environment and health have led to the development of new food packaging materials avoiding petroleum-based matrices and synthetic additives. The present study has developed polylactic acid (PLA) films containing different concentrations of essential oil from Origanum vulgare L. virens (OEO). The effectiveness of this new active packaging was checked for use in ready-to-eat salads. A plasticising effect was observed when OEO was incorporated in PLA films. The rest of the mechanical and physical properties of developed films did not show much change when OEO was included in the film. An antioxidant effect was recorded only for films containing the highest percentages of the active agent (5% and 10%). In addition, films exhibited in vitro antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus carnosus. Moreover, in ready-to-eat salads, antimicrobial activity was only observed against yeast and moulds, where 5% and 10% of OEO was the most effective.

KEYWORDS:

• Polylactic acid
• oregano essential oil
• antioxidant
• antimicrobial
• active packaging

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Jose David García López from DOMCA and Manuel Albert and M. Carmen Gómez from ITENE for providing technical assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors thank the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [grant number AGL2012-38357-C02-01], co-financed by FEDER Funds, and the Conserjería de Economía y Conocimiento, Junta de Andalucía [grant number AGR-7252] for financially supporting this study. María Llana Ruiz-Cabello also gratefully acknowledges Junta de Andalucía for her pre-doctoral grant associated with the AGR-7252 project.