Antimicrobial and Barrier Properties of Bovine Gelatin Films Reinforced by Nano TiO2

The effects of nano titanium dioxide incorporation were investigated on the water vapor permeability, oxygen permeability, and antimicrobial properties of bovine gelatin films. The nano TiO2 (TiO2- N) was homogenized by sonication and incorporated into bovine gelatin solutions at different concentrations (e.g. 1, 2, 3, and 5% w/w of dried gelatin). The permeability of the films to water vapor and oxygen was significantly decreased by incorporating of low concentration TiO2-N to gelatin solutions. TiO2-N gelatin films showed an excellent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These properties suggest that TiO2-N has the potential as filler in gelatin-based films for using as an active packaging materials in pharmaceutical and food packaging industries.