Antibacterial sugar palm starch biopolymer composite films were developed and derived from renewable sources and inorganic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as main ingredients for antibacterial coatings. The composite films were produced by solution casting method and the mechanical and physicochemical properties were determined by tensile test, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), antibacterial screening test and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images. It was found that mechanical and antibacterial properties of biocomposite films were improved after the addition of AgNPs compared with the film without active metals. The weakness of neat biocomposite films was improved by incorporating inorganic AgNPs as a nanofiller in the films’ matrix to avoid bacterial growth. The results showed that the tensile strength ranged between 8 kPa and 408 kPa and the elasticity modulus was between 5.72 kPa and 9.86 kPa. The addition of AgNPs in FTIR analysis decreased the transmittance value, caused small changes in the chemical structure, caused small differences in the intensity peaks, and produced longer wavelengths. These active films increased the degradation weight and decomposition temperature due to the more heat-stable AgNPs. Meanwhile, the average inhibited areas measured were between 7.66 and 7.83 mm (Escherichia coli), 7.5 and 8.0 mm (Salmonella cholerasuis), and 0.1 and 0.5 mm for Staphylococcus aureus. From the microscopic analysis, it was observed that the average size of all microbes for 1 wt% and 4 wt% AgNPs ranged from 0.57 to 2.90 mm. Overall, 3 wt% AgNP nanofiller was found to be the best composition that fulfilled all the mechanical properties and had better antimicrobial properties. Thus, the development of an organic-inorganic hybrid of antibacterial biopolymer composite films is suitable for antibacterial coatings.

The effects of filler loading and silane coupling agent on the properties of hydroxyapatite (HAp)-filled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites have been studied. The (HAp) powder was successfully produced from tilapia scales using the spray drying process utilized to prepare the HDPE/HAp composites. The FTIR peaks for the untreated HDPE/30HAp composite corresponded to the functional groups of HDPE (C-CH₃) and –CH₂ and HAp (PO₄⁻³ and O-H). The FTIR spectrum for the silane-treated composite showed that the C=O and silanol groups were eliminated, which strongly confirms the chemical interaction between the HAp fillers and the HDPE matrix. The developed composites demonstrated enhanced mechanical performance, and in particular the treated HDPE/30HAp-S composite exhibited superior tensile strength, Young’s modulus and flexural modulus of 28.26 MPa, 1272 MPa and 796 MPa, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity analysis showed that the developed composites were non-toxic and have great potential to be used for biomedical application.

This work aimed to produce silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by efficient green synthesis techniques, namely rapid green synthesis and modified microwave-assisted green synthesis methods. The study used fish scale collagen (FsCol) as a stabilizer to assess its impact on the dimensions and configurations of AgNPs. Four samples were prepared with varying concentrations of FsCol. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The obtained sizes are as follows: 85 ± 15 nm, 70 ± 10 nm, 50 ± 10 nm, and 28-40 nm. The UV-vis spectroscopy revealed a shift in the absorbance peaks from 400 to 446 nm. The SEM method showed a spherical form in all of the samples. The element silver was detected in the EDX examination, along with the presence of oxygen (O) and carbon (C). The FTIR analysis revealed that the peaks seen at 3307 cm^-1 were attributed to the stretching of O-H bonds, while the mountain at 1638 cm^-1 belonged to the extension of N-H bonds (amide A). Additionally, the band observed at 1638 cm^-1 indicated the presence of CO bonds (amide I).The 2140 cm^-1 and 1302 cm^-1 peaks may be attributed to the C₂H₂ group present in the plant components and the N-H bending (Amide III), respectively. The XRD pattern indicates that the synthesis process resulted in the formation of crystalline AgNPs. The particle sizes measured using DLS were 121 nm, 96.36 nm, 82.3 nm, and 48.50 nm. The TEM approach revealed that all samples had a spherical morphology with varying sizes: 80-100 nm, 50-80 nm, 40-60 nm, and 28-42 nm. The synthesized AgNPs were tested for their antibacterial properties against the pathogenic pathogens Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The influence of AgNPs on bacteria was amplified as the particle size decreased, resulting in a larger inhibitory zone for the smaller particles.