Sustainable films containing AIE-active berberine-based nanoparticles: A promising antibacterial food packaging

Plastic pollution and food spoilage have drawn public attention, which may cause a great threat to the global environment and human health. Therefore, natural antimicrobial packaging has a pivotal share in solving these problems. In this study, biodegradable and antibacterial packaging films were successfully prepared via incorporating self-assembled berberine-cinnamic acid nanoparticles (BC NPs) into the film matrixes. With the addition of BC NPs, the UV-shielding property, hydrophobicity, and thermal stability of packaging were apparently improved. Meanwhile, the films also held considerable mechanical property and good biocompatibility, where the migrations of films in two food simulants were all far less than the permitted limits. Furthermore, nanocomposite films (NFs) exhibited strong antibacterial ability against both E. coli and S. aureus. By measuring the fluorescence spectrum and ROS production of films, we certificated NFs were AIE-active, and the antimicrobial activity of NFs was significantly enhanced under white light. Finally, the packaging test further indicated NFs could inhibit microbial growth of chicken samples well. The sustainable NFs will be ideal candidate materials to replace plastics and extend the shelf life of food products.