Effect Of Lauric Acid Addition On The Microbial Efficacy Of Chitosan–Based Film
Authors: Muhamad Ida Idayu , Khairuddin Nozieana , Law Hoi Ling 
Published: January 2013

Kesan terhadap perubahan dinamik dalam pasaran dan permintaan pengguna telah mengalakkan pertumbuhan dalam bidang Pembungkusan Aktif Pembungkusan Aktif Anti–bakteria mengaplikasikan konsep ‘bio–switch’ yang mana ia dihasilkan dengan menggabung dan menyekat gerak agen anti–bakteria ke dalam pembungkus dan mengaplikasi konsep bio–suis. Mekanisma pembebasan anti–bakteria di antara partikel ‘bio–switch’ dan ‘stimulus’ terhadap kontaminasi mikrob telah di kaji. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk menghasilkan filem berasaskan ‘chitosan’ yang digabungkan dengan agen antibakteria iaitu asid laurik. Filem kawalan dan filem LA berasaskan ‘chitosan’ yang diperolehi dari kajian ini adalah lutsinar, lebih fleksibel kehomogenan berbanding pencirian filem polyethylene di pasaran. Keberkesanan filem tersebut terhadap perencatan aktiviti mikrob telah dikaji. Zon cerah yang terbentuk di atas piring petri menunjukkan bahawa kombinasi gabungan anti–bakteria – anti bakteria tersebut telah memberi perencatan yang baik terhadap pertumbuhan bakteria E. coli dan B. subtilis pada kepekatan 0.625 × 10-2M asid laurik. Pengenalan bahan polimer dan antibakteria yang terbaru dalam penghasilan pembungkusan aktif boleh memanjangkan jangka hayat makanan dan mengurangkan risiko keracunan makanan akibat kontaminasi dari bacteria dengan menghalang atau menyekat pertumbuhan kerosakan dan/atau patogenik mikroorganisme yang mencemari makanan.

Kata kunci: Pembungkus aktif; anti–mikrob; ‘chitosan’; asid laurik; Escherichia coli; Bacillus subtilis

In response to the dynamic changes in current consumer demand and market trends, the area of Active Packaging is becoming increasingly significant. An Antimicrobial Active Packaging can be made by incorporating and immobilizing antimicrobial agents into food packages and applying a bio–switch concept. Using this technique, the mechanism of antimicrobial release between the developed bio–switch particles and the stimulus of a microbial contamination can be studied. The objective of this research is to develop a chitosan–based film incorporated with antimicrobial agents consisting of lauric acid. The control and lauric acid chitosan–based film appearance achieved from this study were visually transparent, flexible homogeneity comparable to commercially polyethylene film characteristics. The effectiveness of the antimicrobial film towards inhibition of microbial activity was evaluated by zone inhibition on the agar plate test and liquid culture test. Clear zones formed on the film appearance showed the combination of both antimicrobial agents gives good inhibition to the growth of E. coli and B. subtilis with optimum inhibition rate at lauric acid concentration of 0.625 × 10-2M. With the advent of new polymer materials and antimicrobials, the development of active packaging could prolong the shelf life of food and reduce the risk of food–borne illness caused by microbial contamination by restrain or inhibit the growth of spoilage and/or pathogenic microorganisms that are contaminating foods.

Key words: Active packaging; Antimicrobial; chitosan; lauric acid; Escherichia coli; Bacillus subtilis