Chemically Modified Nanoparticles for Enhanced Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties with Cinnamon Essential Oil

• Published in: Antioxidants Vol. 12; no. 12; p. 2057
• Main Authors: López-Cano, Aaron A, Martínez-Aguilar, Verónica, Peña-Juárez, Mariana G, López-Esparza, Ricardo, Delgado-Alvarado, Enrique, Gutiérrez-Castañeda, Emmanuel J, Del Angel-Monroy, Mayra, Pérez, Elías, Herrera-May, Agustín L, Gonzalez-Calderon, J Amir
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 29-11-2023
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aluminum oxide; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; antimicrobial properties; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants; Biopolymers; Calcium carbonate; Cinnamon; cinnamon essential oil; Essential oils; Ethanol; Gram-negative bacteria; Mechanical properties; Metal oxides; Nanoparticles; Oils & fats; Particle size; Polylactic acid; polylactic acid films; Polymers; Spectrum analysis; Sustainable development; Temperature; Tensile strength; Thermal properties; Thermogravimetric analysis; Titanium dioxide; Mexico; cinnamon essential oil; antimicrobial properties; polylactic acid films; nanoparticles; antioxidant activity
• ISSN: 2076-3921; 2076-3921
• DOI: 10.3390/antiox12122057

We explored the potential of different nanoparticles (TiO
, CaCO
, and Al
O
), considering their pure form and modified with cinnamon essential oil (CEO). These materials were characterized using various techniques, including FTIR spectroscopy, XRD analysis, TGA, and SEM. The interaction between CEO and nanoparticles changed depending on the nanoparticle type. Al
O
nanoparticles exhibited the strongest interaction with CEO, increasing their antioxidant capacity by around 40% and their transfer of antimicrobial properties, particularly against Gram-negative bacteria. In contrast, TiO
and CaCO
nanoparticles showed limited interaction with CEO, resulting in lower antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity. Incorporating pure and CEO-modified nanoparticles into polylactic acid (PLA) films improved their mechanical and thermal properties, which are suitable for applications requiring greater strength. This research highlights the potential of metal oxide nanoparticles to enhance the antimicrobial and antioxidant capabilities of polymers. In addition, incorporating cinnamon essential oil can increase the antioxidant and antimicrobial effectiveness of the metal oxide nanoparticles and improve the mechanical and thermal properties of PLA films. Thus, these PLA films exhibit favorable characteristics for active packaging applications.