Polyvinyl Alcohol Based Nanocomposite Films Engineered With Clove Oil and Chitosan Nanoparticles to Combat the Postharvest Fungal Diseases

Abstract The post-harvest loss of fresh produces is a global challenge to the food industry. The drastic loss of fresh produces caused mainly by fungal attack demands the development of active packaging materials with antimicrobial properties. Hence studies have already reported the applications of polymers like Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) engineered with antimicrobial properties for the packaging. In the current study, material properties of PVA alone, PVA incorporated with chitosan nanoparticles (PCS), clove oil (PCO) and also chitosan nanoparticles and clove oil combination (PCSCO) have been studied for the packaging applications. All the developed films were characterised by the XRD and FTIR analysis and it confirmed the molecular interactions among the components of nanocomposites. At the same time, the bionanocomposite PCSCO was found to have low moisture content and film solubility as suitable for the packaging application. In addition, the presence of chitosan nanoparticles and clove oil was found to provide the microbial barrier properties to the PCS, PCO and PCSCO flms. The PCSCO film with both chitosan nanoparticles and clove oil was further demonstrated to have superior antifungal activity against the spoilage organism Pythium aphanidermatum. The results of the study indicate the potential of developed nanocomposite for the postharvest packaging application.