Chapters authored
Antimicrobial Effect of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles
The widespread use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, and therefore a current concern for food safety and human health. The interest for new antimicrobial substances has been focused toward metal oxide nanoparticles. Specifically, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been considered as an attractive antimicrobial compound due to its photocatalytic nature and because it is a chemically stable, non-toxic, inexpensive, and Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) substance. Several studies have revealed this metal oxide demonstrates excellent antifungal and antibacterial properties against a broad range of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These properties were significantly improved by titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) synthesis. In this chapter, latest developments on routes of synthesis of TiO2 NPs and antimicrobial activity of these nanostructures are presented. Furthermore, TiO2 NPs favor the inactivation of microorganisms due to their strong oxidizing power by free radical generation, such as hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals, showing reductions growth against several microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Understanding the main mechanisms of antimicrobial action of these nanoparticles was the second main purpose of this chapter.
Part of the book: Antimicrobial Resistance
Active Electrospun Mats: A Promising Material for Active Food Packaging
Nowadays, polymeric materials are widely used in the development of food packages. However, as food products with a greater safety and longer durability are required, packaging research area has been focused on the production of functional materials able to reach such further protection. The incorporation of natural and synthetics active compounds into the polymeric materials by traditional techniques has been the main used strategy, surging thus the research area of active food packaging. Furthermore, the latest science advances provide promising technologies for developing packaging materials, such as the electrospinning. This technique has allowed obtaining ultrathin electrospun mats based on micro- and/or nanofibers that have been proposed as novel active materials able to be applied as wrapper films, sachets and bags during the food packaging. In this chapter, the description of electrospinning, the effect of their principal parameters during the development of active food packaging materials as well as their current applications on different foodstuffs are presented.
Part of the book: Electrospinning