The objective of the present work was to study the incorporation of starch nanoparticles (SNP) produced by ultrasound in blends of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and thermoplastic starch (TPS). The films were produced by extrusion using varying percentages of SNP (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% w/w). The SNP were prepared in water without the addition of any chemical reagent. The results revealed that ultrasound treatment results in the formation of SNP less than 100 nm in size and of an amorphous character and lower thermal stability and low gelatinization temperature when compared with cassava starch. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that films presented some starch granules. The relative crystallinity (RC) of films decreases with increasing concentration of SNP. The addition of SNP slightly affected the thermal degradation of the films. The DSC results showed that the addition did not modify the interaction between the different components of the films. Mechanical tests revealed an increase in Young’s modulus (36%) and elongation-at-break (35%) with the incorporation of 1% SNP and this concentration reduced the water vapor permeability (53%) and significantly decreased the water absorption of the films, demonstrating that low concentrations of SNP can be used as reinforcement in a polymeric matrix.

Zanthoxylum tingoassuiba essential oil (EO) is a complex mixture of organic compounds among which methyl-N-methylanthranilate and sesquiterpene alcohol α-bisabolol represent the main compounds. The essential oil antimicrobial activity was studied against bacteria and fungi cells by diffusion disk method and significant activity was observed against S. aureus, S. aureus isolated multi-resistant and the dermathophyte fungi. Essential oil from Zanthoxylum tingoassuiba loaded into DPPC multilamellar liposomes (MLV) was successfully produced through a thin film hydration method with mean diameter of 9.37 ± 4.69 µm. The EO-loaded liposomes showed adequate sphericity and narrower size distribution than empty liposomes. Results also showed that Zanthoxylum tingoassuiba essential oil can be incorporated in appreciable amounts (43.7 ± 6.0%) in the prepared vesicular dispersions. A strong interaction between essential oil and lipid bilayer was indicated by a significant decrease in T_m of the EO-loaded liposomes related to empty vesicles. Essential oil showed incomplete release profile from liposomes, suggesting that EO-loaded liposomes will be useful in pharmaceutical applications to enhance essential oil targeting to cells.