Silver Nanoparticles Entrapped in Zein Films as Biocompatible Coatings for Food Preservation

One of the main causes of food losses and possible infection spreading is the contamination by pathogenic microorganisms. Such issue is strictly connected to food processing and packaging. Smart coatings with antimicrobial properties can improve product shelf-life and limit pathogen growth. Here we report the preparation and characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded in zein films for potential food packaging applications. AgNPs were prepared through a reduction process using a low amount of silver precursor, room temperature, and ascorbic acid as reductant. A suitable protocol was developed for fabricating self-standing AgNPs/zein films. Morphological and spectroscopic characterization was performed to investigate NPs and nanocomposites.