U. Seeta Uthaya Kumar, M.T. Paridah, F.A.T. Owolabi, Deepu A. Gopakumar, Samsul Rizal, A.A. Amirul, A.A. Rahman, Tata Alfatah, E.M. Mistar, N.A. Sri Aprilia, H.P.S. Abdul Khalil
Seaweed-based biodegradable films were studied with incorporation of different concentrations of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract. The films were fabricated via a hot casting method and were subjected to physical, mechanical, and morphological examinations to investigate the effect of the neem extract reinforcement in the edible film. There was moderate improvement in the tensile strength, contact angle values, and elongation at break values, while the water vapour permeability was reduced with the addition of neem leaves extract beyond 5 w/w %. Analysis of the morphology of the fabricated films confirmed that there was good dispersion of the neem leaves extract in the seaweed matrix films, which resulted in the enhanced mechanical strength of the fabricated films. Moreover, the fabricated composite films showed excellent antimicrobial activity towards both Gram-positive bacterium subclasses (coccus and bacillus), which is highly desirable for the packaging material in the current scenario. So far, this is the first report on neem leave based seaweed films with enhanced antimicrobial activity, which makes them suitable for sustainable packaging application. The experiments showed that the seaweed-based film incorporated with neem leaves extract has potential application as an active packaging material due to its enhanced mechanical properties and antimicrobial activity. © 2019 North Carolina State University.
School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 11800, Malaysia; Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia; Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia; School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 11800, Malaysia; School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, 18000, Malaysia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia; Environment and Forestry Office of The Provincial Government of Aceh, Banda Aceh, 23239, Indonesia; Chemical Engineering Department, Serambi Mekkah University, Tgk. Imum Lueng Bata Street, Batoh, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Research at a Glance
Register to unlock
Topics & SDG Alignment
Register to unlock
Collaboration
Register to unlock
Author Profile (Selected)
Register to unlock
References Overview
Register to unlock
Journal & Source
Register to unlock
Metadata & Integrity
Register to unlock