Microbial contamination represents an undesirable event in various domains, such as in biomedical, food preservation and cosmetics. Microbial adhesion and growth on medical devices and implants can cause serious complications to human health, being source of severe nosocomial infections. Over recent decades, consistent research on the development of innovative food packaging materials has been carried out aiming to combat pathogens, to reduce spoilage and waste. Despite efforts and improvements in the food production industry, foodborne pathogens still cause a number of illness outbreaks yearly all over the world. Therefore, this communication will present some results regarding advancements in development of antimicrobial polymeric materials using surface-modification and emulsion-stabilization approaches. Two polymeric substrates, one biodegradable (polylactic acid, PLA) and one non-biodegradable (polyethylene, PE), surface functionalized by cold plasma and γ-iradiation have been modified with different bioactive compounds (antimicrobial/antioxidant) in order to obtain bioactive food packaging materials. Surface immobilization of the bioactive layers was achieved by a wet-treatment involving carbodiimide chemistry. As bioactive agents various essential and vegetal oils were incorporated into a biopolymer matrix (chitosan). The resulted materials were physico-chemical characterized in order to evaluate the molecular interactions between natural bioactive compounds and polymeric matrix, the stability of the immobilized surface layer, their morphology and barrier properties. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were also evaluated. Moreover, the surface functionalized polymeric substrates were tested as potential packaging materials for meat and cheese preservation. The obtained materials have demonstrated improved barrier properties, good antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and they prolong shelf-life of the tested food.

Acknowledgments: The financial support of this work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS - UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2019-1101, number PD 31/2020, within PNCDI III, and European Social Fund for Regional Development, Competitiveness Operational Programme Axis 1 – Project “Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry - Interdisciplinary Pol for Smart Specialization through Research and Innovation and Technology Transfer in Bio(nano)polymeric Materials and (Eco)Technology", InoMatPol (ID P_36_570, Contract 142/10.10.2016, cod MySMIS: 107464).