Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles impregnated in natural biopolymer film as an antimicrobial food packaging / Farah Najihah Rahmat

This study was done as an initiative to help reducing forborne disease such as food poisoning that cause by food contamination. Food industry has done many approaches to produce long shelf life of food including encapsulation of food and high pressure food technology that can help to prevent damage of food quality in short period. The main objective of this study is to produce nanoparticles by using green method and characterize the properties of nanoparticles produced. Furthermore, the aim of this study is to demonstrate the antimicrobial effect of AgNP produced. To achieve the objective, Silver nanoparticles(AgNPs) was synthesized using fruit waste and impregnated with sodium alginate to produce Alginate-silver Nanoparticles(Alg-AgNP) film. Elimination of using harmful chemical in producing AgNP has categorized this method as a green method. The total of phenol content of fruit waste is also determined to see its capability to reduce Ag ions. The process is then proceeds with several characterization techniques such as UV Vis Analysis, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) and lastly, antimicrobial test to determine the properties of AgNP. From the characterization result, AgNPs produces was claimed to have diameter of lOnm with thermal stability up to 200°C after being impregnated in Alginate (Alg) film. The antimicrobial property of Alg-AgNPs was then proven to be efficient when tested on E.Coli. The inhibitory zone occurs arround the Al-AgNPs film is larger than the inhibitory zone that surrounded Alg film. In the nutshell, producing AgNP using green method is very beneficial to environment to and easy to operate the process.