Sachê biodegradável a base de amido de mandioca, gelatina e carvacrol encapsulado aplicado à conservação de pão

Abstract

Bread is one of the most widely consumed foods worldwide; however, its intrinsic characteristics make it highly susceptible to microbial contamination. The development of the sachet proposed in this study represents an extension of the biodegradable films previously investigated by the research group, which have demonstrated effectiveness in inhibiting fungal growth in foods. Therefore, this work evaluated the antifungal efficacy of a biodegradable sachet containing carvacrol (CA) encapsulated in a polymeric matrix based on cassava starch (ACS) and gelatin (GEL) for the preservation of bread packaged in trays. Three sachet formulations were tested (ACS/GEL, ACS/GEL/0.6CA, and ACS/GEL/0.8CA). Antifungal activity on solid medium was determined against Penicillium expansum and Aspergillus flavus using disk diffusion and vapor-phase diffusion assays. In addition, analyses of moisture, pH, total mold and yeast counts, incidence of microbial growth, and bread texture were performed throughout storage. The in vitro results were promising: the ACS/GEL/0.8CA treatment effectively inhibited the growth of P. expansum and A. flavus, particularly in disk diffusion assays. The biodegradable sachets containing encapsulated carvacrol demonstrated the ability to delay microbial spoilage of bread, reducing the progression of fungal growth during storage, with the most pronounced effect observed for the ACS/GEL/0.8CA treatment. Moisture, pH, and texture analyses remained within expected ranges, indicating that the sachets did not significantly affect the physicochemical properties of the bread. Overall, the ACS/GEL/0.8CA formulation shows potential as a natural alternative for extending bread shelf-life, contributing to reduced microbial growth without the use of synthetic preservatives.