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Polymers
Volume 17
Issue 5
10.3390/polym17050686
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Article

Use of Natamycin for the Development of Polymer Systems with Antifungal Activity for Packaging Applications

by
Vincenzo Titone
1,
Manuela Ceraulo
1,
Francesco Lopresti
1,
Giuliana Garofalo
2,
Raimondo Gaglio
2,
Maria Chiara Mistretta
1,* and
Luigi Botta
1,*
1
Department of Engineering, University of Palermo and INSTM Research Unit, V. le delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
2
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, V. le delle Scienze, Bldg. 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Polymers 2025, 17(5), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050686
Submission received: 28 January 2025 / Revised: 27 February 2025 / Accepted: 1 March 2025 / Published: 4 March 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers)
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Abstract

Recently, there has been a rapid growth in the use of biodegradable polymers as alternatives to petroleum-based polymers, particularly in the packaging sector, to reduce environmental pollution. In this scenario, the aim of this work was to study the use of different amounts of Natamycin on two polymer systems: one that is non-biodegradable but widely known in the field of packaging and one that is biodegradable and is emerging as a possible replacement, in order to accelerate progress toward the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Both systems were produced through melt mixing followed by compression moulding. Subsequently, they were fully characterized by rheological, morphological, mechanical, thermal, and wettability analyses. Natamycin release was evaluated in water at 4 °C by UV-Vis measurements. The antifungal activity of both polymeric systems containing Natamycin was assessed in vitro against three strains of undesirable filamentous fungi of food interest. The results show that PCL with 5% Natamycin represents an effective biodegradable alternative to EVA for inhibiting undesirable filamentous fungi. More specifically, both systems at 5% showed comparable inhibition zones of about 30 mm.
Keywords: antifungal activity; biodegradable; circular economy; filamentous fungi; polymers; sustainability antifungal activity; biodegradable; circular economy; filamentous fungi; polymers; sustainability

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MDPI and ACS Style

Titone, V.; Ceraulo, M.; Lopresti, F.; Garofalo, G.; Gaglio, R.; Mistretta, M.C.; Botta, L. Use of Natamycin for the Development of Polymer Systems with Antifungal Activity for Packaging Applications. Polymers 2025, 17, 686. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050686

AMA Style

Titone V, Ceraulo M, Lopresti F, Garofalo G, Gaglio R, Mistretta MC, Botta L. Use of Natamycin for the Development of Polymer Systems with Antifungal Activity for Packaging Applications. Polymers. 2025; 17(5):686. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050686

Chicago/Turabian Style

Titone, Vincenzo, Manuela Ceraulo, Francesco Lopresti, Giuliana Garofalo, Raimondo Gaglio, Maria Chiara Mistretta, and Luigi Botta. 2025. "Use of Natamycin for the Development of Polymer Systems with Antifungal Activity for Packaging Applications" Polymers 17, no. 5: 686. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050686

APA Style

Titone, V., Ceraulo, M., Lopresti, F., Garofalo, G., Gaglio, R., Mistretta, M. C., & Botta, L. (2025). Use of Natamycin for the Development of Polymer Systems with Antifungal Activity for Packaging Applications. Polymers, 17(5), 686. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050686

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