ABSTRACT
The occurrence of diseases in cultivars has caused significant losses in global food production. The advancement of nanobiotechnology makes it possible to obtain new products to be used in the control of pathogens in cultivars. Silver nanoparticles can be synthesized by microalgae and are widely known for their antimicrobial activity. In addition, the biomass produced in microalgal culture for the biosynthesis of the nanoparticles also demonstrates antimicrobial properties, as it can increase the antibacterial and antifungal potential of the silver nanoparticles. In this context, this article addresses the use of microalgae to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles simultaneously with biomass production. In addition, we demonstrate the antimicrobial potential of these nanomaterials, as well as of the microalgal biomass produced in biosynthesis, to use in the control of pathogens in agriculture.
Subject(s)
Agriculture/methods , Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Biotechnology/methods , Metal Nanoparticles , Microalgae/metabolism , Anti-Infective Agents/metabolism , Biomass , Crops, Agricultural/microbiology , SilverABSTRACT
Phycocyanin is a pigment of intense blue color, constituting the biomass of microalga such as Spirulina. This pigment is sensitive to pH and this instability results in color change. Thus, phycocyanin fading may become interesting for application in intelligent packaging. The objective of the study was to develop PLA/PEO ultrafine fibers containing phycocyanin to be used as pH indicators membranes for food packaging. The ultrafine fibers were formed by electrospinning process. The average diameter of 1318â¯nm was obtained for PLA/PEO ultrafine fibers with 2% (w·v-1) of phycocyanin and 921â¯nm for those developed with 3% (w·v-1) of the dye. PLA/PEO ultrafine fibers with 3% (w·v-1) of the phycocyanin presented the best responses regarding the perception of color change (ΔE). With the highest thickness (68.7⯵m) of the ultrafine fibers developed from 3% (w·v-1) of phycocyanin, the ΔE value found was 18.85 to the variation of pHâ¯3 to 4 and for variation from pHâ¯5 to 6 the value of ΔE was 18.66. Thus, the use of PLA/PEO ultrafine fibers containing phycocyanin as pH indicator is an innovative application for intelligent packaging, since the color of pigment changes depending on pH variation.
