Edible films with anti-Listeria monocytogenes activity

IBARGUREN, CAROLINA; VIVAS, LETICIA; BERTUZZI, M. ALEJANDRA; APELLA, MARÍA C.; AUDISIO, M. CARINA

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2010 vol. 45 p. 1443 - 1449

0950-5423

Edible films based on wheat gluten, gelatin and brea gum were prepared with incorporation of 6,400 AU mL-1 of enterocin with anti-Listeria monocytogenes action, synthesized by Enterococcus faecium CRL1385. The analyses of resulting bioactive edible films revealed that they did not show any significant changes in their functional and physicochemical features after the enterocin incorporation. Gelatin and brea gum films had a higher solubility in water than wheat gluten films. Listeria cells were not inhibited by edible matrices per se; while a similar inhibition to that of free bacteriocin was observed in gelatin films after 2 h and remained unchanged for the duration of the assay. Wheat gluten films showed a lower bacteriocin-matrix interaction and a limited bactericidal action was observed for 2 h, after which the activity disappeared. In contrast, brea gum was found to interact with the bacteriocin molecule inhibiting its anti-Listeria activity. Edible gelatin and wheat gluten films with enterocin can be potentially used to control Listeria monocytogenes contamination in food products. Keywords: edible film; Listeria monocytogenes; bacteriocin; brea gum; antagonistic activity; wheat gluten; gelatin