title: Antimicrobial activity of immobilized lysozyme on plasma-treated polyethylene films.
abstract: In this study we tested the antimicrobial activity of polyethylene films modified by means of plasma processes that were followed by the chemical immobilization of lysozyme, an antimicrobial enzyme. To chemically immobilize the enzyme in its active form at the surface of polyethylene, substrates that had been plasma treated under different experimental conditions were soaked in lysozyme solutions at different concentrations. The immobilization of the enzyme was checked, and the antimicrobial activity of the films was investigated by observing the death rate of Micrococcus lysodeikticus cells suspended in phosphate buffer in contact with the films. The results clearly indicate that plasma-treated films loaded with lysozyme are active against the selected microorganism. A modified version of the Gompertz equation was used to quantitatively valuate the dependence of the antimicrobial activity of the films under both plasma treatment conditions and lysozyme concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Foggia, Via Napoli, 25-71100 Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Buonocore
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sinigaglia
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Favia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: d'Agostino
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Del Nobile
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004349:Drug Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008837:Micrococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D009113:Muramidase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020959:Polyethylene
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized; D020959:Polyethylene; D009113:Muramidase