Biocompatible silver nanoparticles/poly(vinyl alcohol) electrospun nanofibers for potential antimicrobial food packaging applications

Nanotechnology is expected to transform many areas of food science as there is a growing demand for increased fresh food shelf life as well as the need of protection against foodborne diseases, thus, urging for the development of antimicrobial food packaging using the polymer embedded metal nanoparticles. In the present study, the stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by a green route using Vitis vinifera (black grapes) fruit peel, characterized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited maximum absorbance at 421.6 nm in the ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) spectrum. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image revealed spherical shaped nanoparticles of average particle size about 30 nm. The energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the presence of elemental silver and the crystalline nature of AgNPs. A unique green organic-inorganic hybrid nanofibers (poly(vinyl alcohol)–AgNPs) were developed through the electrospinning method, by incorporating the synthesized AgNPs in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix, for fruits preservation. The AgNPs and AgPVA nanofiber showed good antibacterial activity against tested food pathogenic bacterial strains. The AgPVA nanofiber demonstrated an increased shelf life when surface-coated over the fruits, Citrus limon (lemon) and Fragaria ananassa (strawberry), by preventing the decaying caused due to food pathogens. These results indicated that AgPVA nanofiber can potentially be used as antimicrobial packaging for food preservative applications.