Antibacterial κ-carrageenan/konjac glucomannan-based edible hydrogel film containing Salmonella phage PBSE191 and its application in chicken meat
Sangbin Kim, Bong Sun Kim, Jaewoo Bai, Yoonjee Chang
Abstract
With the global transition toward carbon neutrality, zero-waste strategy, and with the emergence of bacteriophages as ubiquitous antibiotic substitutes, we developed natural polymer-based hydrogel films characterized by sustainability and biodegradability as alternative green food packaging materials. We characterized the κ-carrageenan and konjac glucomannan-based hydrogel film containing Salmonella Enteritidis phage PBSE191. Mechanical property analysis revealed that the KC/KGM-based hydrogel with a ratio of 7:3 showed the highest compressive strength at a 70% compression ratio. Comparison according to plasticizer type in the film showed that 40% (w/w, based on solute weight) sorbitol-containing hydrogel film showed the highest tensile strength of 43.89 ± 2.49 MPa. When the phage solution was reabsorbed on CGHS40, the tensile strength and water swelling ratio significantly increased, whereas water solubility and water vapor permeability significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The phage-absorbed film had an overall smooth and layered morphology, and reabsorption did not change the chemical structures of CGHS40. The phage-absorbed CGHS40 film on the raw chicken meat surface elicited a significant Salmonella-killing effect within 3 h at 25 °C and 48 h at 5 °C. Therefore, we demonstrated that the PBSE191 phage-loaded CGHS40 film is a highly potential eco-friendly antibacterial food packaging for enhancing food safety against Salmonella contamination.