Ultra ne ber membranes of polylactic acid (PLA) 8% (w/v) loaded with pink pepper essential oil (PPEO) in 10, 20 and 30% (v/v) were produced and evaluated for antimicrobial potential against the bacteria Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. The membranes were applied in simulated cream cheese packaging and characterized by morphological, thermal, structural, antimicrobial and wettability analysis. The addition of PPEO reduced the diameter of bers and increased the initial degradation temperature in relation to pure PPEO. The ultra ne membranes had hydrophobic character. The PPEO presented myrcene as major component and had antimicrobial action for S. aureus and L. monocytogenes. The membranes applied to the cream cheese packaging showed inhibitory effect on the 21st day of storage, for L. monocytogenes. For S. aureus, the membranes inhibited the growth of the colonies on days 14 and 21, with reductions of 30 and 62%, respectively.
HighlightsProtective thermal effect of PLA on PPEO.Membranes of ultra ne bers showed hydrophobicity.Potential action of PPEO volatile compounds in reducing bacteria.Antimicrobial effect of membranes in simulated cream cheese packaging.where the mixture is heated, with the main advantage of extracting plant material below 100 ºC (El Asbahani et al., 2015). Also, to apply essential oils in packaging, one must pay attention to some prerequisites, as well as knowing the properties of the oils, the minimum inhibitory concentrations, the target microorganisms, the mechanisms of action and possible interactions with the matrix to feed (Hyldgaard, Mygind, & Meyer, 2012).Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae) is a species native to Brazil, known as aroeira-vermelha, widely distributed in the southern region (Souza, Arthur, & Nogueira, 2012). Literature reports con rmed