Antimicrobial Properties of Thermally Processed Oyster Shell Powder for Use as Calcium Supplement

Oyster shells, though rich in calcium, are mostly discarded and contribute to environmental issues. Developing calcium-based materials with antimicrobial functionality offers a promising solution. However, their low bioavailability limits their direct use, requiring processing to enhance their appli...

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Main Authors: Sungmo Ahn, Soohwan Lee, Seokwon Lim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/15/2579
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author Sungmo Ahn
Soohwan Lee
Seokwon Lim
author_facet Sungmo Ahn
Soohwan Lee
Seokwon Lim
author_sort Sungmo Ahn
collection DOAJ
description Oyster shells, though rich in calcium, are mostly discarded and contribute to environmental issues. Developing calcium-based materials with antimicrobial functionality offers a promising solution. However, their low bioavailability limits their direct use, requiring processing to enhance their applicability. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity of thermally processed pulverized oyster shells (TPOS) and citric acid-treated TPOS (TPOSc) compared with those of fibrous calcium carbonate (FCC) and coral-derived calcium product (CCP), which are used as reference materials. The solubility values were 0.7 mg/g for FCC, 0.5 mg/g for TPOS, 0.4 mg/g for TPOSc, and 0.05 mg/g for CCP. The average particle sizes were 476 (FCC), 1000 (TPOS and TPOSc), and 1981 nm (CCP). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed calcium ion release and structural changes in TPOS and TPOSc. Antibacterial testing further confirmed that these samples exhibited significant antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, to assess their practical applicability, TPOS and TPOSc samples with antimicrobial properties were incorporated into rice cakes. All samples retained antimicrobial activity at 0.3 wt%, while higher concentrations led to deterioration in their textural properties. These findings support the potential of thermally processed oyster shell powders for food applications that require microbial control with minimal impact on product quality.
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spelling doaj-art-a68e97f6002d47b3b524b533fd35cddd2025-08-20T04:00:53ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-07-011415257910.3390/foods14152579Antimicrobial Properties of Thermally Processed Oyster Shell Powder for Use as Calcium SupplementSungmo Ahn0Soohwan Lee1Seokwon Lim2Department of Food Science & Biotechnology, Gachon University, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Food Science & Biotechnology, Gachon University, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Food Science & Biotechnology, Gachon University, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of KoreaOyster shells, though rich in calcium, are mostly discarded and contribute to environmental issues. Developing calcium-based materials with antimicrobial functionality offers a promising solution. However, their low bioavailability limits their direct use, requiring processing to enhance their applicability. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activity of thermally processed pulverized oyster shells (TPOS) and citric acid-treated TPOS (TPOSc) compared with those of fibrous calcium carbonate (FCC) and coral-derived calcium product (CCP), which are used as reference materials. The solubility values were 0.7 mg/g for FCC, 0.5 mg/g for TPOS, 0.4 mg/g for TPOSc, and 0.05 mg/g for CCP. The average particle sizes were 476 (FCC), 1000 (TPOS and TPOSc), and 1981 nm (CCP). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed calcium ion release and structural changes in TPOS and TPOSc. Antibacterial testing further confirmed that these samples exhibited significant antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, to assess their practical applicability, TPOS and TPOSc samples with antimicrobial properties were incorporated into rice cakes. All samples retained antimicrobial activity at 0.3 wt%, while higher concentrations led to deterioration in their textural properties. These findings support the potential of thermally processed oyster shell powders for food applications that require microbial control with minimal impact on product quality.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/15/2579oyster shellscalciumthermal processingantimicrobialbioavailability
spellingShingle Sungmo Ahn
Soohwan Lee
Seokwon Lim
Antimicrobial Properties of Thermally Processed Oyster Shell Powder for Use as Calcium Supplement
Foods
oyster shells
calcium
thermal processing
antimicrobial
bioavailability
title Antimicrobial Properties of Thermally Processed Oyster Shell Powder for Use as Calcium Supplement
title_full Antimicrobial Properties of Thermally Processed Oyster Shell Powder for Use as Calcium Supplement
title_fullStr Antimicrobial Properties of Thermally Processed Oyster Shell Powder for Use as Calcium Supplement
title_full_unstemmed Antimicrobial Properties of Thermally Processed Oyster Shell Powder for Use as Calcium Supplement
title_short Antimicrobial Properties of Thermally Processed Oyster Shell Powder for Use as Calcium Supplement
title_sort antimicrobial properties of thermally processed oyster shell powder for use as calcium supplement
topic oyster shells
calcium
thermal processing
antimicrobial
bioavailability
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/15/2579
work_keys_str_mv AT sungmoahn antimicrobialpropertiesofthermallyprocessedoystershellpowderforuseascalciumsupplement
AT soohwanlee antimicrobialpropertiesofthermallyprocessedoystershellpowderforuseascalciumsupplement
AT seokwonlim antimicrobialpropertiesofthermallyprocessedoystershellpowderforuseascalciumsupplement