Antifungal activity of LDPE/lauric acid films against Colletotrichum tamarilloi

A new antifungal packaging based on low-density polyethylene and lauric acid as an antifungal agent was developed and characterized. Three LDPE/lauric acid films (varying the amount of lauric acid) and an LDPE blank without additive were produced by extrusion. Analysis of the data for antifungal activity assays, thermal characterization, mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, and FT-IR spectra were done in order to evaluate the functionality of the antifungal packaging developed with these films. The results showed that the water vapor permeability and tensile strength were reduced, while the thermal properties of the polymer did not show significant changes in response to the presence of lauric acid. The in vitro study indicates that the LDPE film with the intermediate concentration of lauric acid exhibited a strong antifungal activity against Colletotrichum tamarilloi. Moreover, the in vivo test shows that the packaging LDPE3.5 presented the best results by inhibiting the growth of the fungus for three weeks. The results reveal that lauric acid has effect as an antifungal additive in vitro and in vivo, and does not generate substantial changes in the mechanical properties of the polymer used, which make this material an excellent candidate for the development of active antimicrobial packaging for tree tomato.