Ata Aditya Wardana, Grettivia Gotama, R. Haryo Bimo Setiarto, Chandra Liza, Retno Wulandari, Zarlina Zainuddin, Francis Ngwane Nkede, Laras Putri Wigati, Fumina Tanaka, Fumihiko Tanaka, Rizka Aulia Rahma, Retno Tri Astuti
This study aimed to develop antimicrobial teak leaf-based traditional packaging by coating with a propolis-lemongrass essential oil (LEO) Pickering emulsion stabilized by cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The coating formulation was composed of 0.8% propolis from Indonesia (A) and Brazil (B) combined with 0.5% LEO and 750 ppm CNC. Nanocellulose with rod-like morphology, characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), served as a stabilizing agent for oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) confirmed droplet morphology with <30 μm diameters. Antibacterial assays revealed efficacy against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. Propolis B/LEO coatings demonstrated synergistic antimicrobial activity, supported by in vivo and membrane integrity assays, extending the shelf life of leaf-wrapped rice samples until 24 h of storage according to the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) standard. The coatings altered leaf properties, including thickness (0.27–0.41 mm) and color difference (ΔE = 0.41–2.65). This study revealed the feasibility of food-grade Pickering emulsions for sustainable leaf-based packaging solutions. Copyright © 2025 Wardana, Gotama, Setiarto, Liza, Wulandari, Zainuddin, Nkede, Wigati, Tanaka, Tanaka, Rahma and Astuti.
Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia; Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong Science Center, West Java, Cibinong, Indonesia; Research Center for Polymer 74 Technology, National Agency for Research and Innovation, South Tangerang, Indonesia; Laboratory of Postharvest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Department of Agricultural Product Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, University of Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia; Department of Fisheries Product Technology, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, Indonesia
