Physicochemical characterization and antimicrobial activity of edible propolis-chitosan nanoparticle films

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity of edible propolis-chitosan nanoparticle films. Five formulations containing chitosan (C1), chitosan nanoparticles (C2) and ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) at different concentrations (C3 = 10%, C4 = 20% and C5 = 30%) were prepared. From the results, a particle size of 28.42 ± 7.43 nm was observed from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs for chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs). Contact angle measurements showed a more hydrophilic (0°) behavior for C1 and C4. On the other hand, the most hydrophobic behavior was observed for C3 and C5, with values of 21.38° and 21.17°, respectively. Optical micrographs of coated strawberries showed good adhesion with thickness values between 146.15 and 341.88 μm. No significant differences were found for moisture content, hardness and X-ray diffraction (XRD) (p