Development of a film composed of Chitosan, Silver nanoparticles, and Thymus vulgaris essential oil and the evaluation of its antimicrobial and physical properties

One of the major challenges in today's modern world are related with health, food, and environmental issues. As a result, creating a material that not only has antimicrobial properties against bacteria activity in food, but also being environmentally friendly and safe for human health is very relevant. The green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TEO) were incorporated in different concentrations into a 2% chitosan (CH) film. The production of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by UV spectrophotometry. Methods as diffusion method, including agar well diffusion and disc diffusion, were used to assess the film's antibacterial capabilities. Further, physical properties such as the moisture content and water solubility, were performed to evaluate its potential as biodegradable alternative of traditional plastic wrapped film. The findings showed that adding TEO and AgNPs to the CH films significantly enhanced their antimicrobial capabilities against the tested microorganisms. The addition of silver nanoparticles and essential oil, however, reduced slightly the chitosan films' moisture resistance and water solubility. In conclusion, this eco-friendly, antimicrobial films might be seen as a viable material for food packaging applications.