RT Journal Article T1 Antimicrobial films based on chitosan and methylcellulose containing natamycin for active packaging applications A1 Santonicola, Serena A1 García Ibarra, Verónica A1 Sendón García, Raquel A1 Mercogliano, Raffaelina A1 Rodríguez Bernaldo de Quirós, Ana Isabel K1 Active packaging K1 Chitosan K1 Methylcellulose K1 Natamycin AB Biodegradable polymers are gaining interest as antimicrobial carriers in active packaging. In the present study, two active films based on chitosan (1.5% w/v) and methylcellulose (3% w/v) enriched with natamycin were prepared by casting. The antimicrobial’s release behavior was evaluated by immersion of the films in 95% ethanol (v/v) at different temperatures. The natamycin content in the food simulant was determined by reversed-high performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). The apparent diffusion (DP) and partition (KP/S) coefficients were calculated using a mathematical model based on Fick’s Second Law. Results showed that the release of natamycin from chitosan based film (DP = 3.61 × 10−13 cm2/s) was slower, when compared with methylcellulose film (DP = 3.20 × 10−8 cm2/s) at the same temperature (p < 0.05). To evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency of active films, cheese samples were completely covered with the films, stored at 20 °C for 7 days, and then analyzed for moulds and yeasts. Microbiological analyses showed a significant reduction in yeasts and moulds (7.91 log CFU/g) in samples treated with chitosan active films (p < 0.05). The good compatibility of natamycin with chitosan, the low Dp, and antimicrobial properties suggested that the film could be favorably used in antimicrobial packagings PB MDPI YR 2017 FD 2017 LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/22494 UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/22494 LA eng NO Santonicola, S.; García Ibarra, V.; Sendón, R.; Mercogliano, R.; Rodríguez-Bernaldo de Quirós, A. Antimicrobial Films Based on Chitosan and Methylcellulose Containing Natamycin for Active Packaging Applications. Coatings 2017, 7, 177. NO The study was financially supported by the “Consellería de Cultura, Educación e OrdenaciónUniversitaria, Xunta de Galicia”, Ref. No. GRC 2014/012. V. García Ibarra was supported by a graduate fellowship from the Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación of Ecuador DS Minerva RD 28 abr 2026