The demand for active antimicrobial packaging especially for perishable fresh food such as seafood is ever-increasing with the global health awareness. This work aimed to assess the feasibility of green extraction method for Lawsonia inermis L. leaves and the antimicrobial potential of extract as active packaging film. Green extraction of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves was done with distilled water using Soxhlet apparatus and the quantified lawsone was found comparable to Lawsonia inermis L. commercial powder extract. Different concentration of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves extract and commercial powder (0.30 to 0.90 g/mL) were incorporated into starch-based film for antimicrobial assay against Pseudomonas sp. Results revealed that Lawsonia inermis L. leaves extract exhibited better antimicrobial activity than commercial powder with 36 % enhancement at the highest concentration (0.90 g/mL). Antimicrobial film with the highest concentration of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves extract had the greatest antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas sp. among all the samples. The antimicrobial assay of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves extract was also done on real food spoilage bacteria using fresh fish for 3 days storage. All active films exhibited comparable antimicrobial activity on day 2 (24.2 – 51.6 % reduction). Yet only the concentration with 0.90 g/mL Lawsonia inermis L. leaves extract still exhibited indistinguishable inhibition zone (49.8 % reduction) on day 3. This indicated that the highest concentration of green extracted Lawsonia inermis L. leaves extract could inhibit the real food spoilage bacteria more effectively to extend food shelf life. Taken together, the leaves extraction of Lawsonia inermis L. using greener method could be applicable as natural antimicrobial agent in food packaging to enhance food shelf life and food safety.
