Antimicrobial film from poly(butylene succinate) and cymophenol as a sustainable approach to food waste reduction: antimicrobial properties and its effects on soil microorganism, brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and fresh strawberry

To develop antimicrobial films for active food packaging applications, poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) was fabricated into films of varying thicknesses (50, 75 and 100 μm) and incorporated with different cymophenol concentrations (0 to 10 wt%). The results demonstrated that cymophenol functioned not only as an antimicrobial agent but also as a plasticizer, enhancing the essential properties required for food packaging films. The films effectively inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli at cymophenol concentrations of 6 and 8 wt%, respectively. Both increased cymophenol content and film thickness contributed to improved mechanical properties, particularly by elevating stretchability. Release tests indicated that thicker films exhibited higher cymophenol migration, which correlated with an increased diffusion coefficient. Besides packaging film properties, the PBS/cymophenol plates, particularly at 100 μm thickness, presented an alternative function to enhance the shelf-life extension of strawberries by reducing yeast and mold growth. Soil microorganism vitality tests on sixteen isolated soil microbial strains showed that the antimicrobial films did not hinder the soil microbial population growth, confirming their potential to retain biodegradability. Additionally, the survival rates of brine shrimp after five days were significantly reduced when stored in PBS and PBS/cymophenol. Based on these findings, antimicrobial PBS/cymophenol films are proposed as sustainable, biodegradable active packaging materials that combine strong antimicrobial activity with environmental safety in terrestrial conditions and can be easily integrated into various food containers.