Count of viable cells entrapped in film of HEC, prepared according to the above procedure, were carried out by decimally diluting the film into a sterile saline solution and spread (0.1 mL of each dilution) on plates containing the same media described above: NA and SA, and incubated at 37°C and 25°C for K. varians and P. subpelliculosa, respectively. All analyses were performed in triplicate.