Silver nanoparticle-loaded chitosan-starch based films: Fabrication and evaluation of tensile, barrier and antimicrobial properties

The fabrication of silver nanoparticles was accomplished by gamma-ray irradiation reduction of silver nitrate in a chitosan solution. The obtained nanoparticles were stable in the solution for more than six months, and showed the characteristic surface plasmon band at 411 nm as well as a positively charged surface with 40.4 +/- 2.0 mV. The silver nanoparticles presented a spherical shape with an average size of 20-25 nm, as observed by TEM. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against E. coli, S. aureus and B. cereus of the silver nanoparticles dispersed in the gamma-ray irradiated chitosan solution was 5.64 mu g/mL. The silver nanoparticle-loaded chitosan-starch based films were prepared by a solution casting method. The incorporation of silver nanoparticles led to a slight improvement of the tensile and oxygen gas barrier properties of the polysaccharide-based films, with diminished water vapor/moisture barrier properties. In addition, silver nanoparticle-loaded films exhibited enhanced antimicrobial activity against E. coli, S. aureus and B. cereus. The results suggest that silver nanoparticle-loaded chitosan-starch based films can be feasibly used as antimicrobial materials for food packaging and/or biomedical applications. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.