Nanocomposites using clove (Syzygium aromaticum) chemical constituents

Abstract

Green chemistry has the opportunity to ensure that the world of chemistry produces more effective and efficient materials for various applications and contributes to protecting public health and the environment. Furthermore, the technology optimizes all necessary parameters to minimize if not eliminate environmental pollution either through the production of benign by-products or employing safe reactants and solvents, and minimizing packaging waste. Nanocomposites are a heterogeneous combination of two or more materials to yield new materials with new and unique properties. The unique characteristics of the newly formed nanocomposites can be controlled and optimized by using an effective mixture of original components. As a result, the applications of nanocomposite materials are expanding rapidly in many fields (Shirdar et al., 2019; Nguyen- Tri et al., 2018). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimated that 30% of the produced food is lost or wasted each year because of improper storage. Generally, food loss occurs at the production, handling, storage, and processing levels, while food waste indicates the losses at distribution, market, and final consumer levels (Ishangulyyev et al., 2019; Jiang et al., 2019). The global food packaging market was estimated at over USD 300 billion in 2019 and had a predicted increase rate of 5.2% yearly. The paper-based segment represents 31.9% of the total value and dominates as a biodegradable material. On the other hand, plastic food packaging, which is mostly nonbiodegradable, is dominating the market due to superior properties and lower prices; however, it raises environmental concerns (Wohner et al., 2020) and encourages the search for new safe and renewable natural-based packaging materials. Therefore, it becomes necessary to pay considerable attention to the development of biodegradable materials prepared from natural polymers. Thus, various natural polymers are under study to develop improved products. In addition, many random research works have been documented in the literature on the development of biodegradable packaging film using renewable polymers (Shah et al., 2015; Tunma, 2018). The market is shifting toward more sustainable packaging solutions like bio-based polymers (Wohner et al., 2020). The development of antimicrobial packages using natural agents such as clove oil is a promising path for actively controlling the bacterial and fungal proliferation that leads to food spoilage (Kerry et al., 2006; O’Callaghan and Kerry, 2014; Rai et al., 2019; Vilas et al., 2020). This type of package increases the latency phase and reduces the growth of microorganisms, enhancing the food quality and safety, ensuring a longer shelf life ( Jayasena and Jo, 2013; Szabo et al., 2020; Motelica et al., 2020 ). The clove essential oil (CEO) is an aromatic oil containing mainly eugenol (71.6%) and eugenol acetate (9.0%), while others have reported higher concentrations with the presence of β-caryophyllene as well. The various phytochemical compounds present exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities such as anticancer, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties (Barboza et al., 2018). Such multi-pharmacological activities of the CEO give merits to be part of different nanocomposite packaging formulations that could enhance the food quality and can be employed in numerous applications.