Development and investigation of antibacterial and antioxidant characteristics of poly lactic acid films blended with neem oil and curcumin

Abstract Antibacterial films based on polylactic acid (PLA) were developed by blended with neem oil (NO) and curcumin via solvent casting technique. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) results revealed the presence of fillers (NO and curcumin) in the PLA matrix. Without losing much of the PLA film's transparency, the composite film has exceptional ultra violet‐blocking properties. The addition of NO to the PLA matrix increased the elongation of the composite film by reducing tensile strength while not affect their thermal stability. The water vapor transfer rate (WVTR), water contact angle (WCA), and oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of the film were marginally improved by the introduction of NO and curcumin. The curcumin inclusion prevented the plasticized PLA/NO/curcumin compositions surfaces from porosity according to the morphology studies. Further, the PLA/NO/curcumin composites films exhibited good antibacterial, antioxidant activity and therefore have the possibility to use as an active packaging material for food preservation and safety.