The current demand for new antimicrobial systems has stimulated research for the development of poly(lactic acid)/carvacrol (PLA/CAR)-based materials able to hinder the growth and spread of microorganisms. The eco-friendly characteristics of PLA and cytocompatibility make it very promising in the perspective of green chemistry applications as material for food and biomedical employments. The broad-spectrum biological and pharmacological properties of CAR, including antimicrobial activity, make it an interesting bioactive molecule that can be easily compounded with PLA by adopting the same techniques as those commonly used for PLA manufacturing. This review critically discusses the most common methods to incorporate CAR into a PLA matrix and their interference on the morphomechanical properties, release behavior, and antimicrobial activity of systems. The high potential of PLA/CAR materials in terms of chemical-physical and antimicrobial properties can be exploited for the future development of food packaging, coated medical devices, or drug delivery systems.

中文翻译：

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聚乳酸/香芹酚基材料：制备，理化性质和抗菌活性。

当前对新的抗菌系统的需求刺激了对基于聚乳酸/香芹酚（PLA / CAR）的材料的开发的研究，该材料能够阻碍微生物的生长和传播。PLA的环保特性和细胞相容性使其在绿色化学作为食品和生物医学领域的应用方面非常有前途。CAR的广谱生物学和药理特性，包括抗菌活性，使其成为一种有趣的生物活性分子，可以通过采用与PLA生产中常用的技术相同的技术轻松地与PLA混合。这篇评论评论性地讨论了将CAR掺入PLA基质的最常用方法，以及它们对形态力学性能，释放行为，和系统的抗菌活性。PLA / CAR材料在化学物理和抗菌特性方面的巨大潜力可用于食品包装，带涂层的医疗设备或药物输送系统的未来开发。