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Peer-reviewedCC BYFoods

Antibacterial Packaging for Cheese Based on Carboxymethyl Cellulose Composite with Zinc Oxide and Thyme Essential Oil

  • Ludmila Motelică1,2,3
  • Ovidiu Oprea4,5,1
  • Anton Ficai4,5,1
  • Roxana Doina Trusca1
  • Denisa Ficai5,1
  • Catalina-Elena Constantin6
  • Alina Maria Holban6
  • Gabriel Mustăţea7
  • Elena Loredana Cirstoiu (Ungureanu)7
  • Carmen Curuțiu6
7 affiliations
  1. 1National Research Center for Micro and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
  2. 2Research Center for Advanced Materials, Products and Processes, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 313, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
  3. 3Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, Spl. Independentei 91-95, 0500957 Bucharest, Romania
  4. 4Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov Street 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania
  5. 5Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
  6. 6Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
  7. 7National R&D Institute for Food Bioresources—IBA Bucharest, Dinu Vintila Street 6, 021102 Bucharest, Romania
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Abstract

The food-packaging sector is undergoing a major transition driven by the environmental burden associated with petroleum-based plastics and the increasing demand for sustainable alternatives. In this context, biodegradable packaging materials capable of extending food shelf life through active preservation functions have attracted considerable interest. Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer and an attractive candidate for sustainable packaging; however, it lacks intrinsic antimicrobial activity. In the present study, innovative carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based composite films were developed by incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) and thyme essential oil (TEO) as antibacterial active agents. The obtained films exhibited strong antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, completely eliminating planktonic cell viability after 3 h of contact and producing inhibition zones of up to 30 mm. In addition to their biological performance, the composite films showed improved mechanical and functional properties. ZnO NPs appear to act as multifunctional junctions within the CMC matrix, while the dispersed TEO droplets contribute, together with the inorganic phase, to reduced water-vapor transfer. The films retained good transparency in the visible range while exhibiting UV-A transmittance below 7%, indicating enhanced light-barrier performance. Preliminary tests on soft cheese indicated shelf-life extension up to 14 days at 4 °C, while in inoculated cheese slices packed in the composite films, S. aureus was not detected from the 3rd day. Overall, these results demonstrate the potential of CMC/ZnO/TEO composite films as biodegradable active packaging materials for perishable food products.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{motelica2026antibacterial,
  title = {{Antibacterial Packaging for Cheese Based on Carboxymethyl Cellulose Composite with Zinc Oxide and Thyme Essential Oil}},
  author = {Ludmila Motelică and Ovidiu Oprea and Anton Ficai and Roxana Doina Trusca and Denisa Ficai and Catalina-Elena Constantin and Alina Maria Holban and Gabriel Mustăţea and Elena Loredana Cirstoiu (Ungureanu) and Carmen Curuțiu},
  journal = {Foods},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  doi = {10.3390/foods15101724},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101724},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Antibacterial Packaging for Cheese Based on Carboxymethyl Cellulose Composite with Zinc Oxide and Thyme Essential Oil
AU  - Ludmila Motelică
AU  - Ovidiu Oprea
AU  - Anton Ficai
AU  - Roxana Doina Trusca
AU  - Denisa Ficai
AU  - Catalina-Elena Constantin
AU  - Alina Maria Holban
AU  - Gabriel Mustăţea
AU  - Elena Loredana Cirstoiu (Ungureanu)
AU  - Carmen Curuțiu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/14
JO  - Foods
DO  - 10.3390/foods15101724
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101724
AB  - The food-packaging sector is undergoing a major transition driven by the environmental burden associated with petroleum-based plastics and the increasing demand for sustainable alternatives. In this context, biodegradable packaging materials capable of extending food shelf life through active preservation functions have attracted considerable interest. Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer and an attractive candidate for sustainable packaging; however, it lacks intrinsic antimicrobial activity. In the present study, innovative carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based composite films were developed by incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) and thyme essential oil (TEO) as antibacterial active agents. The obtained films exhibited strong antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, completely eliminating planktonic cell viability after 3 h of contact and producing inhibition zones of up to 30 mm. In addition to their biological performance, the composite films showed improved mechanical and functional properties. ZnO NPs appear to act as multifunctional junctions within the CMC matrix, while the dispersed TEO droplets contribute, together with the inorganic phase, to reduced water-vapor transfer. The films retained good transparency in the visible range while exhibiting UV-A transmittance below 7%, indicating enhanced light-barrier performance. Preliminary tests on soft cheese indicated shelf-life extension up to 14 days at 4 °C, while in inoculated cheese slices packed in the composite films, S. aureus was not detected from the 3rd day. Overall, these results demonstrate the potential of CMC/ZnO/TEO composite films as biodegradable active packaging materials for perishable food products.
SN  - 2304-8158
ER  -