title: Molecular characterisation of a bio-based active packaging containing Origanum vulgare L. essential oil using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Environmental, economic and safety challenges motivate shift towards safer materials for food packaging. New bioactive packaging techniques, i.e. addition of essential plant oils (EOs), are gaining attention by creating barriers to protect products from spoilage. Analytical pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) was used to fingerprint a bioactive polylactic acid (PLA) with polybutylene succinate (PBS) (950 g kg(-1) :50 g kg(-1) ) film extruded with variable quantities (0, 20, 50 and 100 g kg(-1) ) of Origanum vulgare EO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Main PLA:PBS pyrolysis products were lactide enantiomers and monomer units from the major PLA fraction and succinic acid anhydride from the PBS fraction. Oregano EO pyrolysis released cymene, terpinene and thymol/carvacrol peaks as diagnostic peaks for EO. In fact, linear correlation coefficients better than 0.950R(2) value (P < 0.001) were found between the chromatographic area of the diagnostic peaks and the amount of oregano EO in the bioplastic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pyrolytic behaviour of a bio-based active package polymer including EO is studied in detail. Identified diagnostic compounds provide a tool to monitor the quantity of EO incorporated into the PLA:PBS polymeric matrix. Analytical pyrolysis is proposed as a rapid technique for the identification and quantification of additives within bio-based plastic matrices. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad de Sevilla, Profesor García González n° 2, 41012, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Llana-Ruíz-Cabello
authors.affiliation: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad de Sevilla, Profesor García González n° 2, 41012, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pichardo
authors.affiliation: IRNAS-CSIC, Av. Reina Mercedes, 10, 41012, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Nicasio T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Morillo
authors.affiliation: Area of Packaging Materials and Systems, ITENE, C/ Albert Einstein 1, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bermúdez
authors.affiliation: Area of Packaging Materials and Systems, ITENE, C/ Albert Einstein 1, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aucejo
authors.affiliation: IRNAS-CSIC, Av. Reina Mercedes, 10, 41012, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: González-Vila
authors.affiliation: Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad de Sevilla, Profesor García González n° 2, 41012, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cameán
authors.affiliation: IRNAS-CSIC, Av. Reina Mercedes, 10, 41012, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: González-Pérez
mesh_terms: D002072:Butylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D000081007:Cymenes; D018857:Food Packaging; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000737:chemistry; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry*; D031341:Origanum / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D019802:Succinic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D013943:Thymol / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002072:Butylene Glycols; D000081007:Cymenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; C089797:bionole; D013943:Thymol; C033616:poly(lactide); C073316:carvacrol; D019802:Succinic Acid
keywords: active packaging; oregano essential oil; polybutylene succinate; polylactic acid; pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry