Composites Part B 102 (2016) 94e99

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Composites Part B
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/compositesb

Antimicrobial PLA films from environment friendly additives

Marina Turalija a, Sandra Bischof a, *, Ana Budimir b, Sabyasachi Gaan c
a
University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology, Department of Textile Chemistry & Ecology, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
b
University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Clinical Medical Centre Zagreb, Ki
spaticeva 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
c
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This research involves antimicrobial modifications of biodegradable Polylactide (PLA) using environment
Received 30 December 2015 friendly antimicrobial agents (silver and chitosan) and bio based alcohol (glycerol and polyethylene
Received in revised form glycol). Silver (Ag) is an efficacious and useful antibacterial agent and is incorporated to PLA polymer by
5 June 2016
surface modifications using plasma technology. Antimicrobial activity of PLA films was measured against
Accepted 26 July 2016
Available online 28 July 2016
Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli
(DSMZ 30083). Further characterization of modified PLA films was performed by contact angle method in
order to determine their hydrophilicity. The plasma modification conditions and parameters showed a
Keywords:
Polylactide
strong influence on plasma-deposited thin films, which resulted in the improvement of hydrophilicity
Antimicrobial and antimicrobial properties. Silver release of coatings on the films was investigated by using Inductively
Silver coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The modified PLA films were particularly
Nano-composite effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and thus may find future application in
biomedical and food packaging areas. Antimicrobial films produced from biodegradable PLA offers
sustainable solution for biomedical and food packaging industry.
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction are non-toxic and not-carcinogenic to the human body, making it

The access to raw materials is becoming one of the main limi-
tations of current bio-based synthetic fibres production. The first
generation of biomass sources were edible crops (eg. corn or soya)
while the second one are residues (eg. crop residues, wooden
matter) which have very high potential. Although the cost of
biomass is usually low, the technical limitations of the industrial
processes involved in production of bio-based monomers are
causing their final high price [1]. One of the most extensively
researched and utilized biodegradable and renewable polymers,
produced from annually renewable resources, is Poly(lactic acid) e
(PLA). Due to the multiple favorable characteristics of PLA including
renewability, biocompatibility, transparency, and thermoplasticity,
it is being used as potential candidate for many commercial and
biomedical applications [2].
PLA is derived from renewable and degradable resources such as
corn and rice, which can help to reduce the dependence on fossil
fuels [3]. PLA and its degradation products, namely H2O and CO2,
* Corresponding author. Prilaz baruna Filipovi ca 28a, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia.
E-mail address: sbischof@ttf.hr (S. Bischof).
an eco-friendly biomaterial of excellent properties [4]. Further-
more, PLA can be processed by film casting, extrusion, blow
molding. The major drawbacks of PLA limiting its applications are
its poor mechanical ductility, slow degradation profile and poor
hydrophilicity. In order to have a better suitability for specific
biomedical applications, the PLA has been modified mainly con-
cerning two aspects: bulk properties and surface chemistry [5,6].
Biomaterials possess bulk properties, particularly hydrophilic
and mechanical properties, meeting special requirements. Critical
factors affecting these characteristics include chemical additives,
composition and morphological structure. At present, considerable
research focuses on a variety of hydrolytic groups, controlling the
flexibility and crystallinity of the molecular chains, and the pres-
ence of hydrophilic groups.
Considering the disadvantages of PLA stated above and its high
cost it is not surprising that PLA has not received the attention it
deserves. Nevertheless, researchers have examined different
methods for the bulk or surface modification of PLA, the intro-
duction of other components, or the control of its surface energy,
surface charge and surface roughness, depending on the re-
quirements of specific applications. The increasing number of
functional PLA-based polyesters provides the opportunity to study

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2016.07.017
1359-8368/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 M. Turalija et al. / Composites Part B 102 (2016) 94e99
the relationships between structure and functionality of these
polymers such as cell adhesion and degradability in vitro and
in vivo, as well as to develop applications of these materials for
delivery system in the form of micro- and nanoparticles or scaffolds
for tissue engineering [7]. Due to its bioresorbability and biocom-
patibility in the human body, PLA has been employed to manu-
facture tissue engineering scaffolds, delivery system materials, or
covering membranes, different bioabsorbable medical implants, as
well as in dermatology and cosmetics.
In this work surface modification of PLA was achieved by
simultaneous plasma polymerization/sputtering technique.
Advantage of this novel plasma technique is in its high flexibility
and versatility which facilitates an extensive variety of surface
adjustment, e.g., in the sector of polymer treatment, medical
application or textiles. Combining plasma polymerization and
etching with a co-sputtering process was found to result in the
incorporation of metal nanoparticles in the polymer matrix [8].
Silver nanoparticles were embedded in C:H:O plasma polymer
matrix for enhancement of antimicrobial effectiveness of treated
films. Plasma treatments allow for the creation of very special
properties such hydrophobicity, selective permeability and anti-
microbial effectiveness [9].
Silver is generally used in the nitrate form to induce antimi-
crobial effect, but when silver nanoparticles are used, there is a
huge increase in the surface area available for the microbe to be
exposed to. Though silver nanoparticles find use in many antibac-
terial applications, the action of this metal on microbes is not fully
known. It has been hypothesized that silver nanoparticles can cause
cell lysis or inhibit cell transduction. There are various mechanisms
involved in cell lysis and growth inhibition. The exact mechanism
which silver nanoparticles employ to cause antimicrobial effect is
not clearly known, but there are various theories on the action of
silver nanoparticles on microbes to cause the microbicidal effect.
Silver nanoparticles have the ability to anchor to the bacterial cell
wall and penetrate it, causing structural changes in the cell mem-
brane: permeability of the cell membrane, death of the cell [10].
The formation of free radicals by the silver nanoparticles may be
considered to be another mechanism by which the cells die [11]. It
has also been proposed that there can be release of silver ions by
the nanoparticles and these ions can interact with the thyol groups
of many vital enzymes and inactivate them.
Further bulk modification using chitosan, glycerol and PEG
improved the hydrophilicity and antimicrobial effectiveness of the
PLA films. Such films could serve the basis to develop biocompat-
ible or bio absorbable and more sustainable eco-friendly films for
packaging or medical applications [12].
2. Experimental
2.1. Materials
PLA polymer (6200D) was obtained from Nature Works LLC.
Chemicals used in development of PLA films were obtained from
Sigma Aldrich and Sanitized AG, Switzerland.
2.2. Preparation of films
Films of PLA (20e40 mm) were prepared from solutions of
dichloromethane (25%) using film making instrument: Coat master
509 MC-I, supplied by Erichsen Testing GmbH and Co. Testing
Equipment (Fig. 1.). After the films were casted, they were dried in a
drying oven overnight (24 h) at 50
C.
95
2.3. Bulk and surface modification of PLA films
PLA surfaces were modified by use of simultaneous plasma
polymerization/sputtering technique to deposit nano-composite
thin films (Ag nanoparticles embedded in a C:H:O plasma poly-
mer matrix) [13].
Low pressure plasma (Fig. 2.), processes enable a wide field of
technical application and modification strategies in the field of
coating technology. Due to the high flexibility and versatility, the
plasma technique facilitates an extensive variety of surface
adjustment, e.g., in the sector of polymer treatment, medical
application or textiles [14].
Surface modification of PLA with silver by plasma treatments
was achieved with simultaneous plasma polymerization/sputter-
ing. In order to optimize the process parameters and to obtain a
suitable gas or gaseous mixture, treatments were carried out at
pressure, power, and exposure times. Due to the physical and
chemical changes on film surface, plasma treatments have a sig-
nificant effect on surface tension which contributes to the films wet
ability. The strongest influence on gas discharge have the following
parameters: pressure, temperature, activation rate, flow rate, and
plasma induced molecular fragmentation [15].
PLA surfaces were modified by use of simultaneous plasma
polymerization/sputtering technique to deposit 25 nm-thick nano-
composite thin films (Ag nanoparticles embedded in a C:H:O
plasma polymer matrix). The monomer gas flow Fm was 6 sccm,
the reactive gas flow Fc1 was 12 sccm and for the carrier/sputter gas
flow Fc2 50 sccm was chosen. The power input has been studied in
50 W, while the working pressure was kept constant at 10 Pa. The
6:1 ratio was examined in the asymmetrical setup with argon
inducing a noticeable contribution by Ag sputtering [16,17].
2.4. Testing methods
2.4.1. Thickness measurement
Thickness measurement was performed according to ISO 3034/
EN-ISO 12625-3, ISO 4593 norm. The Frank thickness instrument is
an easy and fast analytical tool, in particular for thickness mea-
surements. The samples are placed between grips of the machine
and thickness can be determined precisely. The process has excel-
lent repeatability and reproducibility. It offers comprehensive
process control and plotting features [18].
2.4.2. Contact angle
Contact angle (CA) measurement is very easy method for surface
analysis measuring surface energy and surface tension. This
method describes the shape of a liquid droplet resting on a solid
interface. CA is the angle between the outline tangent of the drop at
the contact location and the solid surface [19].
In this work, changes in surface hydrophilization in terms of CAs
induced by plasma treatments were measured by the optical in-
spection method using G10 (Krüss GmbH, Germany). Before the
measurement all samples were conditioned at ambient tempera-
ture and the static CAs were measured with drop size of z10 mL
with de-ionized water on coated glass substrates as well as on the
coated surface in a conditioned room (20
C and 65% RH). For each
sample three measurements were taken at different locations and
the average of these measurements were reported [20].
2.4.3. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy
(ICP-OES)
Silver release of modified PLA films was investigated by using
Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-
OES) Optima 3000 Perkin Elmer instrument. Required sample size
for elemental analysis was 5  5 cm. For modified PLA surface
96 M. Turalija et al. / Composites Part B 102 (2016) 94e99
Fig. 1. Films of PLA (20e40 mm) were prepared from solution of dichloromethane (25%) using teflon plate and film making instrument: Coatmaster 509 MC-I, supplied by Erichsen
Testing GmbH and Co. Testing Equipment.
Fig. 2. Surface modifications with low pressure plasma.
modified samples were tested after the treatment with 5 ml
ethanol for 1hr and additional 18 h in 5 ml media Tryptic Soy
broth:NaCl (1:500).
After that three replicates of an air-dry mass of each sample
were digested with 3 ml of HNO3 (65%) and 1 ml of H2O2 (30%). The
digestion was carried out in a GmbH High Performance Microwave
(MLS 1200 MEGA digestion system, EM-45/A Exhaust Module).
Silver was quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emis-
sion spectroscopy (ICP-OES Perkin Elmer OPTIMA 3000). The blank
was prepared in the same conditions; containing all reagents
except the analyte. The calibration of ICP-OES Optima 3000 Perkin
Elmer instrument, was performed using an external Ag standard
solution of 0.0001 g cm3. A recovery rate between 98 and 101%
was found. The detection limit is 0.000075 g cm3 as determined
for our experiments. The obtained Ag quantity is presented in
g cm¡3 enabling a good comparison with the results of pure Ag
(10.49 g cm3) [21,22].
2.4.4. Antimicrobial effectiveness
In this research we have carried out bulk and surface modifi-
cation of PLA to achieve antimicrobial functionality. Determination
of antimicrobial effectiveness of PLA films at the Biofilm Laboratory
for antimicrobial testing, St. Gallen, Switzerland were measured
against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC6538)
and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (DSMZ30083) [23e25].
Testing was performed on at least three specimens from each
treated test material. Prepare flat (50 ± 2) mm specimens of the
treated and untreated materials. Test specimens can be cleaned
with 70% ethanol and dried. PLA film (5  5 cm size) was placed in
5 ml of minimal media. The initial load of bacteria was between 1
and 4 105 CFU mL1. Samples were incubated at 30
C under gentle
shaking (120 rpm). After 18 h the amount of living cell in the
supernatant was evaluated by dilution series and plating on Tryptic
Soy Agar plate. PLA film without treatment was used as negative
control. The detection limit was 10 CFU per ml [26e30]. The anti-
bacterial activity could be calculated according to Eq. (1).
The reduction in the number of microorganisms at each biocide
concentration (B) tested relative to the initial count of the control
sample (A) prior to exposure may be expressed in terms of log or
percent kill as follows [31e34].
logreduction ¼ logðAÞ  logðBÞ (1)
where:
A ¼ initial count of microorganisms of the control sample,
B ¼ number of microorganisms detected at a given biocide
concentration after a specific contact time
3. Results and discussion
Potential application of PLA films in food packaging is very
interesting from sustainability point of view and having antimi-
crobial functionality for such films in some application is desirable.
To render antimicrobial functionality to PLA, it was suitable
modified by incorporating additives in the bulk or surface modified
using plasma technology. The following sections describe the
modification of PLA and characterization of its antimicrobial func-
tionality (see Table 1).
3.1. Thickness measurement
Surface modification of pure PLA films and bulk modification of
PLA films was undertaken by use of simultaneous plasma poly-
merization/sputtering technique (Low pressure plasma) to deposit
25 nm-thick nanocomposite thin films (Ag nanoparticles
embedded in a C:H:O plasma polymer matrix). Thickness of pure
and bulk modified PLA surface varies from 20 to 50 mm, presented
in Tables 2 and 3. Thickness of the first serie of the bulk modified
PLA films were within the range 24.36e40.21 mm. The second serie
of the plasma modified PLA films were within the range
36.66e39.92 mm.
3.2. Contact angle
The contact angle of the PLA films was measured to estimate the
surface characteristics of the films which are relevant for contact
with biological species. A hydrophilic surface would offer better
contact with biological species and enhance the antimicrobial ef-
ficacy of the active ingredients. Bulk modification of PLA was done
with addition of antimicrobial Chitosan polymer. Furthermore to
 M. Turalija et al. / Composites Part B 102 (2016) 94e99 97

Table 1
Description of various PLA samples.

Code Serie 1: Bulk modification

100% PLA Polylactide acid (100%)

PLA/5%GA Polylactide acid (95%) and glycerol (5%)
PLA/5%PEG Polylactide acid (95%) and polyethylene glycol (5%)
PLA/10% CLMW Polylactide acid (90%) and Chitosan low molecular weight (10%)

Serie 2: Plasma modification

PLA þ Ag nanocomposite Polylactide acid (100%) þ Ag nanoparticles

PLA/10%CLMW þ Ag Polylactide acid (90%) and Chitosan, low molecular weight (10%) þ Ag nanoparticles (25 nm-thick nano-composite thin films) embedded in
nanocomposite a C:H:O plasma polymer matrix
PLA/5%GA þ Ag Polylactide acid (95%) and glycerol (5%) þ Ag nanoparticles
nanocomposite
PLA/5%PEG þ Ag Polylactide acid (95%) and polyethylene glycol (5%) þ Ag nanoparticles
nanocomposite

Table 2 3.4. Determination of antimicrobial activity

Thickness measurement and contact angle for the second PLA bulk films.

Sample Thickness [m] Standard deviation [SD] Contact angle [
] To effectively inhibit microorganism growth, the antimicrobial
agent must interrupt the growth cycle. The four tested bacteria,
100% PLA 24.36 1.28 70
PLA/5%GA 25.71 0.52 40 applied in the study, showed different sensitivity to the silver
PLA/5%PEG 27.31 1.59 45 modified PLA surfaces: Escherichia coli was very sensitive (>6 log
PLA/10%CLMW 40.21 1.99 45 reduction) whereas Staphylococcus aureus was tolerant (>2 log
reduction).

Table 3
Thickness measurement and contact angle for bulk modified films with Chitosan, low molecular weight (CLMW), glycerol (GA), polyethylene glycol (PEG) with plasma
polymerization/sputtering technique.

Sample (Ag nanocomposite) Microns [m] Standard deviation [SD] Contact angle [
]

PLA e Ag nanocomposite 36.66 1.12 25

PLA/10%CLMW e Ag nanocomposite 39.92 2.02 25
PLA/5%GA e Ag nanocomposite 38.21 1.22 22
PLA/5%PEG e Ag nanocomposite 39.92 2.23

achieve hydrophilic PLA surfaces, glycerol (GA) and ethylene glycol
(PEG) was used as additive. Surface modification of pure PLA films
and bulk modification of PLA films was performed by use of
simultaneous plasma polymerization/sputtering technique (Low
pressure plasma) to deposit 25 nm-thick nanocomposite thin films
where Ag nanoparticles were embedded in a C:H:O plasma poly-
mer matrix.
Contact angle (CA) measurement was applied for the surface
analysis related to the surface energy and tension of liquid droplets
at solid interfaces. Bulk modifications with GA, PEG and CLMW
reduced CA value from initial 70
to 40e45
. Surface modifications
with silver further improved the hydrophilicity to the values within
the range of 22e25
. The wettability of plasma-treated films is
improved significantly due to the formation of polar groups on the
surface presented in Tables 2 and 3
3.3. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy
(ICP-OES)
Silver release mass of different coating on the PLA films was
quantified by Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spec-
troscopy (ICP-OES). The results have been presented in Table 4 and
subdivided into two parts: release of Ag after 1 h ethanol and
release of Ag after 18 h in media (TSB/500).
The results revealed that only the small amount of the silver is
released after 1 h ethanol for all PLA bulk samples (cca 0,2e1,5
Ag mg/cm2 silver). PLA sample exhibited the biggest Ag release after
18 h in media (TSB/500), cca 1e2 Ag mg/cm2.
Antimicrobial activity of PLA films with bulk and surface
modification was tested against gramepositive bacteria Staphylo-
coccus aureus (AT CC 6538). Antimicrobial activity of pure PLA films
or with 5% glycerol (GA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) and 10%
Chitosan, low molecular weight (CLMW) is presented in Fig. 3 were
sensitivity less than <1 log reduction. Antimicrobial activity of
surface modified pure PLA films or with 5% glycerol (GA), poly-
ethylene glycol (PEG) and 10% Chitosan, low molecular weight
(CLMW), modified by use of simultaneous plasma polymerization/
sputtering technique (Low pressure plasma) to deposit 25 nm-thick
nanocomposite thin films (Ag nanoparticles embedded in a C:H:O
plasma polymer matrix) is presented in Fig. 3 where sensitivity was
about 2 log reduction.
In general, PLA alone or with bulk modification did not showed
antimicrobial activity, whereas silver modified PLA surfaces with
Ag nano-composite, demonstrated antimicrobial activities >1 log
reduction or 99% kill.
The bacterial cells in contact with silver take in silver ions,
which inhibit several functions in the cell and damage the cells. It is
seen from Table 5 that small amount of the silver (cca 0,2e1,5
Ag mg/cm2) is released after 1 h for all PLA bulk sample. PLA sample
exhibited the biggest Ag release after 18 h in media (TSB/500) cca
1e2 Ag mg/cm2.
Usually, there is a difference in efficacy of different antimicrobial
finishing in inhibition of cell growth, but explained with the dif-
ference in structure of the bacterial cell wall (the gram-positive
versus gram-negative). Since first two listed bacteria are grame-
negative, but Listeria monocytogenes and S. aureus are both gram-
98 M. Turalija et al. / Composites Part B 102 (2016) 94e99

Table 4
Silver concentration of the PLA surfaces modified by use of simultaneous plasma polymerization/sputtering technique to deposit 25 nm-thick nano-composite thin films (Ag
nanoparticles embedded in a C:H:O plasma polymer matrix) before and after treatments with ethanol and culture media.

Sample Untreated After 1 h ethanol After 18 h in media (TSB/500)

Silver release (Ag mg/ Standard dev. Silver release (Ag mg/ Standard dev. Silver release (Ag mg/ Standard dev.
cm2) [SD] cm2) [SD] cm2) [SD]

PLA/5% PEGeAg nanocomposite 3.6 0.3 1.4 0.26 1.3 0.22

PLA/5% GAeAg nanocomposite 2.3 0.55 2.1 0.35 1.2 0.13
PLA/10% CLMWeAg 2.1 0.29 1.7 0.17 1.6 0.02
nanocomposite
PLAeAg nanocomposite 2.3 0.53 2.0 0.25 0.17 0.07

Fig. 3. Antimicrobial activity presented as log reduction.

Table 5
Antimicrobial activity of PLA films.

L. monocytogenes log reduction S. aureus log reduction E. coli log reduction S. typhimurium log reduction

Bulk modification
100% PLA (to) Growth inhibition Growth inhibition Growth inhibition Growth inhibition
100% PLA (t18) 0,00 0.00 0.00 0,00
PLA/5%GA 0,53 0.19 0.12 0,29
PLA/5%PEG 0,37 0.10 0.12 0,24
PLA/10%CLMW 0,42 0.02 0.20 0,37
Plasma modification
PLA þ Ag deposition 499 1.07 7,20 5,22
PLA/10%CLMW þ Ag deposition 555 1.18 7,20 6,16
PLA/5%PEG þ Ag deposition 582 1.27 7,20 5,26
PLA/5%GA þ Ag deposition 5,20 1.30 7,20 5,31
PLA þ Ag nanocomposite 5,39 1.20 7,20 7,38
PLA/10%CLMW þ Ag nanocomposite 6,12 2.73 7,20 7,38
PLA/5%PEG þ Ag nanocomposite 5,82 1.70 7,20 7,38
PLA/5%GA þ Ag nanocomposite 6,12 1.54 7,20 7,38

positive, this explanation would not be satisfactory here. Also, if we
look at the difference in cell wall structure, the gram-positive cell
wall has thicker peptidoglycan layer (about 50 times thicker that
the g-cell wall), but g-negative cell wall is consisted with one
additional, outer membrane, which is not the case in g-positive
bacteria.
Antimicrobial activity of pure PLA films, PLA with 5% glycerol
(GA), PLA with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and PLA with 10% low
molecular weight Chitosan (CLMW) presented in Fig. 3, show
sensitivity of less than <1 log reduction.
Antimicrobial activity of the same group of samples modified by
use of simultaneous plasma polymerization/sputtering technique
(Low pressure plasma) with 25 nm-thick nanocomposite films
(where Ag nanoparticles are embedded in a C:H:O plasma polymer
matrix) presented in Fig. 3 show sensitivity of more than >7 log
reduction.
In general, PLA alone or with bulk modification did not showed
antimicrobial activity, whereas silver modified PLA surfaces with
Ag nano-composite, demonstrated significant antimicrobial activ-
ities with >7 log reduction or 99,99% kill.
 M. Turalija et al. / Composites Part B 102 (2016) 94e99
4. Conclusion
Bulk modification of PLA was performed with addition of anti-
microbial low molecular weight Chitosan, glycerol and poly-
ethylene glycol with an aim to improve hydrophilic PLA surfaces.
Surface modification of PLA by novel plasma treatments was ach-
ieved by simultaneous plasma polymerization/sputtering. Such low
pressure plasma processes enable a wide field of technical appli-
cation and modification strategies in the field of coating technol-
ogy. Also the plasma conditions and parameters show a strong
influence on plasma-deposited thin films, which can be charac-
terized by the behavior of the deposition rate. Surface modifica-
tions with silver nano-composite improved the hydrophilicity of
PLA from 70
for unmodified PLA to 22
for modified PLA. The
wettability of plasma-treated films is improved significantly due to
the formation of polar groups on the surface. The results revealed
that higher hydrophilicity leads to a better cell adhesion and
colonization.
Bulk or surface modifications with silver significantly improved
the antimicrobial properties of PLA films. The modified PLA films
were particularly efficient against Escherichia coli, Listeria mono-
cytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium bacteria, less efficient in the
growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus, but they might find
their future application in biomedical and food packaging areas.
There is a difference in sensitivity of tested bacteria to applied
coatings/bulk modification. High efficacy towards E. coli, S. typhi-
murium, and Listeria cytogenes (all of them are rod-shaped bacteria)
and towards S. aureus (coccus-shape microorganism) was obtained
during the treatment. Our results are in line with literature reports
on activity of PLA-Ag against S. aureus [35] and/or bacteria Listeria
monocytogens, Salmonella [10].
At the end we can conclude that silver proved to be an effica-
cious antibacterial agent. Films designed for microbial protection
could act as barriers to bacteria and other microorganisms that are
believed to be transported from one location to another by carriers
as dust or liquids. Developed materials could therefore find appli-
cation in food industry, in preservative packages of food and juices,
but a lot of usages need to be explored in medical and other
purposes.
Acknowledgements
The work has been supported by the Croatian Science Founda-
tion under the project 9967 Advanced textile materials by targeted
surface modification, ADVANCETEX http://www.ttf.unizg.hr/
advancetex.
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