This study aims to produce and investigate the potential of biodegradable Polylactic Acid (PLA)-based composites mixed with chitosan and Turmeric Essential Oil (TEO) as an anti-microbial biomaterial. PLA has good barrier properties for moisture, so it is suitable for use as a raw material for making packaging and is included in the GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). Chitosan is a non-toxic and antibacterial cationic polysaccharide that needs to be improved in its ability to fight microbes. TEO must be added to increase antibacterial properties due to a large number of hydroxyl (-OH) and carbonyl functional groups. The samples were prepared in three different variations: 2 g of chitosan, 0 mL TEO and 0 mL glycerol (Biofilm 1), 3 g of chitosan, 0.3 mL TEO and 0.5 mL of glycerol (Biofilm 2), and 4 g of chitosan, 0.3 of TEO and 0.5 mL of glycerol (Biofilm 3). The final product was characterized by its functional group through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR); the functional groups contained by the addition of TEO are C-H, C=O, O-H, and N-H with the extraction method, and as indicated by the emergence of a wide band at 3503 cm-1, turmeric essential oil interacts with the polymer matrix by creating intermolecular hydrogen bonds between their terminal hydroxyl group and the carbonyl groups of the ester moieties of both PLA and Chitosan. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of PLA as biofilms, the maximum temperature of a biofilm was observed at 315.74 °C in the variation of 4 g chitosan, 0.3 mL TEO, and 0.5 mL glycerol (Biofilm 3). Morphological conditions analyzed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the addition of TEO inside the chitosan interlayer bound chitosan molecules to produce solid particles. Chitosan and TEO showed increased anti-bacterial activity in the anti-microbial test. Furthermore, after 12 days of exposure to open areas, the biofilms generated were able to resist S. aureus and E. coli bacteria.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of studies conducted on the process of developing hydroxyapatite (HA) to use in biocomposites. HA can be derived from natural sources such as bovine bone. The HA usage obtained from green mussel shells in biocomposites in this study will be explored. The research goal is to investigate the composition effect of biomaterials derived from polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), as well as HA obtained from green mussel shells with a chemical blending method on mechanical properties and degradation rate. First, 80 mL of chloroform solution was utilized to immerse 16 g of the PLA/PCL mixture with the ratios of 85:15 and 60:40 for 30 min. A magnetic stirrer was used to mix the solution for an additional 30 min at a temperature and speed of 50 °C and 300 rpm. Next, the hydroxyapatite (HA) was added in percentages of 5%, 10%, and 15%, as well as 20% of the PLA/PCL mixture's total weight. It was then stirred for 1 h at 100 rpm at 65 °C to produce a homogeneous mixture of HA and polymer. The biocomposite mixture was then added into a glass mold as per ASTM D790. Following this, biocomposite specimens were tested for their density, biodegradability, and three points of bending in determining the effect of HA and polymer composition on the degradation rate and mechanical properties. According to the findings of this study, increasing the HA and PLA composition yields a rise in the mechanical properties of the biocomposites. However, the biocomposite degradation rate is increasing.