Abstract
Bioactive nanocomposites were constructed, containing chitosan (Cht), extracted from shrimps’ wastes, and transformed into nanoparticles (NPs) using ionic-gelation. Selenium NPs (Se-NPs) were phytosynthesized using cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) bark extract (CIE), characterized and evaluated with Cht-NPs as antimicrobial composites against bacterial food-borne pathogens “Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes” and as potential edible coating (EC) basements. The CIE-phytosynthesized Se-NPs had well-distributed and spherical shapes with 23.2 nm mean diameter. The CIE, CIE/Se-NPs, and innovative CIE/Se/Cht-NP composites exhibited distinguished antibacterial actions toward the entire screened pathogens; CIE/Se/Cht-NP composite was significantly the most potent. The formulated ECs from CIE/Se/Cht-NP nanocomposites had matching antibacterial manner, which was strengthened with CIE/Se-NP percentage increments. Scanning micrographs indicated the attachment of CIE/Se-NPs to bacterial cells to cause their complete lysis and death after 10 h of exposure. CIE/Se/Cht-NP composites are proposed as effectual control agents toward food-borne pathogens using efficient biological carriers and eco-friendly phytosynthesis protocol.