Efficacy of a Rose Bengal-Embedded Antimicrobial Packaging Film in Inactivating <i>Escherichia coli</i> under Visible Light Irradiation

Abstract

Antimicrobial packaging reduces the extent of microbial contamination; however, conventional antimicrobial packaging, which releases antimicrobial agents into food, may experience rapid agent depletion and can adversely affect food flavors. In this study, a novel photocatalytic antimicrobial nanofiber film embedded with Rose Bengal (RB) dye that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) in visible light was designed for inactivating microorganisms. The film’s antimicrobial properties under various light intensities and exposure times were evaluated, using Escherichia coli as a test microorganism. The results demonstrated that RB generates singlet oxygen as its principal ROS and has potent antimicrobial effects when incorporated into a film, achieving a 4.4 ± 0.1 log CFU reduction in E. coli after 45 h under a light intensity of 6500 lx. The film’s antimicrobial efficacy was dependent on light intensity, with significant E. coli inactivation occurring above 2000 lx. Overall, the RB-incorporated film effectively inactivates E. coli, providing a promising alternative to conventional antimicrobial packaging methods.