Development of alginate films incorporated with cellulose and curcumin nanofibers for photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms

• Grant number: 20/12882-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2021
• End date: January 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Clovis Wesley Oliveira de Souza
• Grantee: Ivana Gabrielle de Lucena
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07276-1 - CEPOF - Optics and Photonic Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Existing strategies to contain contamination produced by microorganisms are adopted in order to guarantee microbiological safety in several areas, such as food preservation and different applications in the medical field. Photodynamic inactivation is a method that is adopted when it is not desired to use thermal or chemical decontamination methods, aiming not to cause significant interference in the place to be decontaminated. For photodynamic inactivation to be successful, a photosensitizer is used, which, when stimulated by light, has an influence on microorganisms, depending on the wavelength, as well as the light used. More and more biodegradable films have been incorporated with photosensitizers for possible applications, and in this project the objective is to produce a film using the binary alginate copolymer with cellulose nanofibril incorporated with curcumin, so that the film has a photodynamic activity. Cellulose nanofibril (NFC) is a cellulose fiber that has unique reinforcing properties, improving the mechanical properties of the film to be produced. In addition, the objectives are: to evaluate the best NFC concentration range to obtain films with greater resistance, to compare nanosuspensions and nanoemulsions as vehicles for the dispersion of curcumin in alginate films and to carry out microbiological control tests with the film produced by use of the microorganisms Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.