Antimicrobial activity and physico-mechanical properties of curcumin, nanocurcumin and ginger extract incorporated methyl-cellulose film.

Experimentation was done to evaluate the performance of a biodegradable film
using curcumin nanoparticle and ginger extract as a primary antimicrobial agent and
methylcellulose as the polymer matrix. The main objective of this research is to fabricate
a biodegradable antimicrobial film using curcumin, curcumin nanoparticle and ginger
extract. The films were prepared by wet casting of the aqueous solution containing
methylcellulose as the main polymer, ethanol as solvent, and glycerol as plasticizer.
Films prepared with various concentration of curcumin (0.3%, 0.5%), curcumin
nanoparticle (0.3%, 0.5% w/w) and ginger extract (0.7% &0.5%) in combination with
nanocurcumin (0.3% and 0.5%). It was observed that curcumin nanoparticle films and
ginger extract with nanocurcumin films showed increase in mechanical properties
however the mechanical properties of ginger extract with nanocurcumin films were less
as compared to that of nanocurcumin. Compared to curcumin films, the inhibition of
microbial strain by curcumin nanoparticle films were increased in selected strain of
E.coli, S. aureus & B.cereus. But the inhibition of microbial strain by ginger extract with
nanocurcumin films were even more increased in selected strain as compared to
nanocurcumin films.