Microbiological, thermal and mechanical performance of cellulose acetate films with geranyl acetate.

The present work concerns to investigate the microbiological, thermal and mechanical behavior of cellulose acetate films obtained with addition of 0.5 % (v/v) and 1.0 % (v/v) of geranyl acetate by the casting technique. The antimicrobial activities of the polymeric films were assessed against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria and against Aspergillus flavus fungal. The achieved results show that the films presented antibacterial and antifungal activities. Moreover, the incorporation of the geranyl acetate in the polymeric films was confirmed by FTIR and TGA technique, while DSC analysis pointed out the compatibility between the geranyl acetate and cellulose acetate. The addition of the geranyl acetate did not modify the mechanical behavior of the cellulose acetate films concerning stiffness and tensile strength. These results suggest that this new material is promising for future applications in biomedical devices and food packaging.

Antifungal Activity and Acute and Repeated-Dose Toxicity Study of Geranyl Cinnamate Ester in Mice.

In the present study, the antifungal activity and toxicity of the geranyl cinnamate ester (GCE) were investigated. The GCE showed antifungal activity at a minimum concentration of 0.16 µL/mL against Candida albicans and at concentrations greater than 2.5 µL/mL against Aspergillus niger. In acute toxicity studies, the administration of GCE (2.000 mg/kg) affected the body weight gain and food intake but did not induce the mortality of the animals studied. After the investigation of repeated-dose toxicity of GCE at 2 and 4 mg/kg, the hematological and biochemical parameters were changed. In addition, the adrenal weight of male mice treated with GCE at 4 mg/kg was affected. In conclusion, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) acute toxicity parameters, the geranyl cinnamate ester can be classified into safety category number 5. The results of this study suggested that the geranyl cinnamate ester may be a source of natural antifungals.