title: Antimicrobial activity of allyl isothiocyanate used to coat biodegradable composite films as affected by storage and handling conditions.
abstract: We evaluated the effects of storage and handling conditions on the antimicrobial activity of biodegradable composite films (polylactic acid and sugar beet pulp) coated with allyl isothiocyanate (AIT). Polylactic acid and chitosan were incorporated with AIT and used to coat one side  of the film. The films were subjected to different storage conditions (storage time, storage temperature, and packed or unpacked) and handling conditions (washing, abrasion, and air blowing), and the antimicrobial activity of the films against Salmonella Stanley in tryptic soy broth  was determined. The films (8.16 μl of AIT per cm(2) of surface area) significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited the growth of Salmonella during 24 h of incubation at 22°C, while the populations of Salmonella in controls increased from ca. 4 to over 8 log CFU/ml,  indicating a minimum inactivation of 4 log CFU/ml on films in comparison to the growth on controls. Statistical analyses indicated that storage time, storage temperature, and surface abrasion affected the antimicrobial activity of the films significantly (P < 0.05). However, the  differences in microbial reduction between those conditions were less than 0.5 log cycle. The results suggest that the films' antimicrobial properties are stable under practical storage and handling conditions and that these antimicrobial films have potential applications in food packaging.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA.
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Linshu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tony Z
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017879:Isothiocyanates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012475:Salmonella / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017879:Isothiocyanates; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; C004471:allyl isothiocyanate