Effect of homogenization conditions on properties of gelatin–olive oil composite films

Gelatin–olive oil composite films were prepared through emulsification to improve water barrier ability of gelatin-based films. The effects of homogenization conditions of film-forming dispersions (FFD) on lipid droplets distributions in the FFD and films were evaluated and compared. Some selected physical properties, e.g., water vapor permeability (WVP), microstructure of the films were also evaluated. The rotor–stator homogenizer provided a lower energy input and so the largest particles were observed in the related FFD and films. These films exhibited excellent water barrier ability, but poor mechanical resistance, extensibility and transparency. The microfluidizer provided the FFD with lower and narrower particle size distributions, promoting mechanical resistance, extensibility and transparency of the films. The physical properties of the emulsified films were dependent on the special microfluidization pressure or cycle used, e.g., the WVP of the films decreased upon increasing microfluidization pressure or cycle. The present results indicated that the microfluidizer can be used to modulate lipid droplets in the FFD, thus films’ properties.     

Effects of gelatin origin,bovine-hide and tuna-skin,on the properties of compound gelatin–chitosan films

With the purpose to improve the physico-chemical performance of plain gelatin and chitosan films, compound gelatin–chitosan films were prepared. The effect of the gelatin origin (commercial bovine-hide gelatin and laboratory-made tuna-skin gelatin) on the physico-chemical properties of films was studied. The dynamic viscoelastic properties (elastic modulus G′, viscous modulus, G″ and phase angle) of the film-forming solutions upon cooling and subsequent heating revealed that the interactions between gelatin and chitosan were stronger in the blends made with tuna-skin gelatin than in the blends made with bovine-hide gelatin. As a result, the fish gelatin–chitosan films were more water resistant (∼18% water solubility for tuna vs 30% for bovine) and more deformable (∼68% breaking deformation for tuna vs 11% for bovine) than the bovine gelatin–chitosan films. The breaking strength of gelatin–chitosan films, whatever the gelatin origin, was higher than that of plain gelatin films. Bovine gelatin–chitosan films showed a significant lower water vapour permeability (WVP) than the corresponding plain films, whereas tuna gelatin–chitosan ones were only significantly less permeable than plain chitosan film. Complex gelatin–chitosan films behaved at room temperature as rubbery semicrystalline materials. In spite of gelatin–chitosan interactions, all the chitosan-containing films exhibited antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, a relevant food poisoning. Mixing gelatin and chitosan may be a means to improve the physico-chemical performance of gelatin and chitosan plain films, especially when using fish gelatin, without altering the antimicrobial properties.     

Effects of protein interactions on properties and microstructure of zein–gliadin composite films

Zein and gliadin are both readily dissolved in aqueous ethanol and have good film-forming property. This article describes an attempt to improve the flexibility of zein films by the addition of gliadin to the zein film-forming solution. The properties of zein–gliadin composite films, i.e., color, transparency, moisture content, water solubility, water vapor permeability, dynamic contact angle which in turn affected the mechanical property, water resistance and glass transition temperature of films were investigated. The contents of second structure were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), whereas morphology of films was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was observed that the addition of gliadin enhanced the strain at break of zein–gliadin composite films as a result of the increase in the content of α-helix, β-turn structures and decrease in the level of β-sheet structure. The water resistance of films decreased with the content of gliadin increasing. Morphology of composite films showed that gliadin and zein organized a homogeneous material. This work opens a new perspective for zein in flexible food package.     

Comparison of chitosan–gelatin composite and bilayer coating and film effect on the quality of refrigerated rainbow trout

The effect of chitosan–gelatin coating and film on the rancidity development in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fillets during refrigerated storage (4 ± 1 °C) was examined over a period of 16 days. Composite and bilayer coated and film wrapped fish samples were analysed periodically for microbiological (total viable count, psychrotrophic count) and chemical (TVB-N, POV, TBARS, FFA) characteristics. The results indicated that chitosan–gelatin coating and film retained their good quality characteristics and extend the shelf life of fish samples during refrigerated storage .The coating was better than the film in reducing lipid oxidation of fillets, but there was no significant difference between them in control of bacterial contamination.     

Effect of high pressure processing on rheological and structural properties of milk–gelatin mixtures

There is an increasing demand to tailor the functional properties of mixed biopolymer systems that find application in dairy food products. The effect of static high pressure processing (HPP), up to 600 MPa for 15 min at room temperature, on milk–gelatin mixtures with different solid concentrations (5%, 10%, 15% and 20% w/w milk solid and 0.6% w/w gelatin) was investigated. The viscosity remarkably increased in mixtures prepared with high milk solid concentration (15% and 20% w/w) following HPP at 300 MPa, whereas HPP at 600 MPa caused a decline in viscosity. This was due to ruptured aggregates and phase separation as confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Molecular bonding of the milk–gelatin mixtures due to HPP was shown by Fourier-transform infrared spectra, particularly within the regions of 1610–1690 and 1480–1575 cm⁻¹, which reflect the vibrational bands of amide I and amide II, respectively.     

Effects of pH on the stress–strain properties of wool fabric

In wool dyeing and finishing processes, fabric is often treated under conditions of different pHs and is subjected to a variety of physical and chemical environments. This work investigates fabric tensile properties at three different fabric pHs. Wool fabric extensibility under a 5 N/cm load was observed to be greatest at the wool isoelectric point of pH 4.8 and lower at both pH 2.1 and pH 7.2. The impact of pH on fabric extensibility was found to be similar to the variation in fabric hygral expansion previously observed. Fabric stress–strain curves at different pHs showed that for a given fabric extension level, the work required to stretch a fabric was less at pH 2.1 than at pH 4.8. These results suggest that the strength of wool fabric is at maximum when the pH of the fibres is close to the wool isoelectric point and that for consistency, the pH of fabric should be adjusted before standard strength tests are carried out.     

Preparation of a barley bran protein–gelatin composite film containing grapefruit seed extract and its application in salmon packaging

The physical properties of a composite film prepared from barley bran protein and gelatin (BBG) were investigated. Tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (E) values of the BBG film decreased as barley bran protein content increased. TS increased with increasing gelatin content, but E values decreased. The optimal conditions for the preparation of the BBG film were 3 g barley bran protein, 3 g gelatin, and 1 g sorbitol in 100 mL film-forming solution. In order to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, a BBG film containing grapefruit seed extract (GSE) was prepared. After 15 days of storage, populations of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on salmon packaged with the BBG film containing GSE decreased by 0.53 and 0.50 log CFU/g, respectively, compared to the control. Also, packing salmon with the BBG film containing GSE decreased the peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid value by 23.0% and 23.4%, respectively.     

Freezing–thawing effects on the properties of dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose crosslinked gelatin-MMT composite films

Freezing–thawing is used as a new method to disperse montmorillonite (MMT) in dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC) crosslinked gelatin-based films. The effects of freezing–thawing on the structure and properties of gelatin-DCMC-MMT films were investigated. The data of XRD indicate that freezing–thawing plays an important role in dispersing MMT into gelatin matrix and reducing the nanoparticles aggregation. The optical properties studies show that gelatin-DCMC-MMT films are very transparent and have excellent barrier properties against UV light. Freezing–thawing process decreases the transparency of films at visible region due to the better dispersion of MMT. The resulting films exhibit similar total soluble matter (TSM) values. However, the films prepared by freezing–thawing method have higher moisture content (MC), may be resulting from the more void volume obtained during the freezing–thawing process. The water vapor permeability (WVP) measurements show that the addition of MMT decreases the WVP of the films. Moreover, the freezing–thawing method can further decrease the WVP of the films. In addition, the films prepared by freezing–thawing are observed with better mechanical properties and thermal stability. The results suggest that the freezing–thawing method is beneficial to dispersing MMT into the gelatin matrix and raising the properties of DCMC crosslinked gelatin-MMT films.     

Lengthwise jute fibre properties variation and its effect on jute–polyester composite

In this study, the jute reeds were equally divided lengthwise from root to tip in three portions namely root, middle and tip. The fibre diameter, fineness, tensile strength and bundle strength of the three portion jute were evaluated and compared. Unidirectional composites containing about 35(wt/wt)% jute fibre by weight were produced in unsaturated polyester resin matrix. The effect of fibre property variation in composite’s mechanical properties was studied. Tensile and flexural properties of composites made from three portions of jute reed were studied. It was observed that tensile and flexural strength of root portion based composites are 44% and 35% higher than tip portion based composites. Tensile and flexural modulus of tip portion based composites is 18% and 17% higher than root portion based composites.     

Effects of fatty acid chain length on properties of potato starch–fatty acid complexes under partially gelatinization

A series of starch–fatty acid samples were prepared using potato starch and four fatty acids differing in their chain length, including lauric (C12), myristic (C14), palmitic (C16), and stearic (C18) acids. The results indicated that the fatty-acid chain length played a significant role in altering the properties of potato starch–fatty acid complexes. The complexing index of potato starch–fatty acid complexes decreased from 0.38 to 0.18 with increasing carbon-chain length. V-type crystalline polymorphs were formed between starch and four fatty acids, with shorter chain fatty acids preserving more crystalline structure. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the degree of crystallinity exhibited by the starch samples was dependent on the fatty-acid chain length. In the Fourier transformed infrared spectrum of the samples, the new spikes at 2917, 2850, 1018, and 720 cm^?1 were assumed to be related to the presence of fatty long chains. The formation of amylose–fatty acid complex inhibited granule swelling of potato starch, w\ith longer chain fatty acids showing greater inhibition. Scanning electron microscopy microscopic examination indicated that amylose–fatty acid interactions taken place during starch gelatinization retarded the destruction of the granules.     

Effects of heat-treated β-lactoglobulin and its aggregates on foaming properties

The effects on foaming properties of the aggregates formed by heating concentrate beta-lactoglobulin solutions (55 mg mL⁻¹, pH 6.8) at 85 °C from 1 to 15 min were investigated. Structural characteristics (size and molecular conformation), hydrophobicity and protein aggregates proportion were also studied. All tested methods pointed at 3 min of heating as a critical time, in terms of conformational changes and aggregation processes. At this time, the most significant conformational changes took place: non-native monomers were present and the greatest amount of dimers and trimers was produced, which was proved with the results of gel densitometry of SDS-PAGE, fluorescence quenching and circular dichroism tests. Foamability and foam stability were both improved by pre-heating the protein. A constant proportion among beta-lactoglobulin species (monomer 51%, dimer 33% and trimer 16%), regardless the protein concentration, led to the same results on foaming properties, confirming the link with structural changes. Aggregates formed by heating beta-lactoglobulin up to 10 min produced more stabilized foams, slowing down disproportionation, because of the formation of stiffer films. The increase in surface hydrophobicity was considered a decisive factor in the improved foamability and hydrophobic interactions improved the foam stability trough the rapid formation of a viscoelastic film.     

Barrier and tensile properties of whey protein–candelilla wax film/sheet

Barrier and tensile properties were compared for whey protein isolate- (WPI-) based solution-cast films, extruded sheets and extruded sheets subsequently thinned into films by compression. Solution-cast films were made from mixtures of WPI and glycerol (GLY) in water. Sheets were made by feeding WPI, GLY, and water to a twin-screw co-rotating extruder. In each case, candelilla wax (CAN) was added at 0, 5 or 7.5 g CAN/100 g dry mix to determine the effect on the barrier and tensile properties. Compressed extruded films were made by thinning extruded sheets using a Carver Press equipped with heated platens. Water vapor permeability (WVP), oxygen permeability (OP) and tensile properties were measured. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were also taken.     

Physical and antimicrobial properties of chitosan–tea tree essential oil composite films

Antimicrobial films were prepared by incorporating different concentrations of tea tree essential oil (TTO) into chitosan (CH) films. Film-forming dispersions (FFD) were characterized in terms of rheological properties, particle size distribution and ζ-potential. In order to study the impact of the incorporation of TTO into the CH matrix, the water vapour permeability (WVP), mechanical and optical properties of the dry films were evaluated. The properties of the films were related with their microstructure, which was observed by SEM. Furthermore, the antimicrobial effectiveness of CH–TTO composite films against Listeria monocytogenes and Penicillium italicum was studied.     

Addition of gelatin enhanced gelation of corn–milk yogurt

Corn–milk yogurt set by a combination of sodium caseinate plus gelatin at concentrations of 0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6% (w/v) were studied. The quality of the gels was determined by measurement of acidity, syneresis, texture profile analysis, viscoelasticity, structure scanning electron microscope and microbiology. Texture profile analysis (TPA) showed that increasing levels of gelatin increased hardness, adhesiveness and springiness as well as the acidity of the products. Viscoelastic behaviour displayed similar trends to the TPA characteristics, the storage modulus was less frequency dependent than the loss modulus giving a loss tangent of 0.2 in the high gelatin systems, which might indicate a true gel system. The microstructure was dense and spongy-like with small air cells, in particular, those having a high concentration of gelatin (0.6%, w/v) gave a very firm structure which might impair palatability. The addition of a commercial gelatin at 0.4% (w/v) gave good acceptability for the product (little syneresis of the gels produced). While the gelatin used for this study had a bloom value of 246 g the authors acknowledge that a different commercial gelatin may well result in a different concentration being required.     

Effects of starches on the textural,rheological, and color properties of surimi–beef gels with microbial tranglutaminase

In order to evaluate effects of starches (corn starch, potato starch, and tapioca starch) on the characteristics of surimi–beef gels with microbial transglutaminase, the cooking loss, gel strength, color and rheological properties of samples were investigated. Results demonstrated that starches gave negative effects on the cooking loss of surimi–beef gels. The gel with corn starch had the highest cooking loss while that with tapioca starch showed the lowest value. The gel with potato starch obtained the highest gel strength. During the sol–gel transitions, surimi–beef complexes with 3% corn starch exhibited the highest storage modulus value, while that with 3% tapioca starch had the lowest one. The addition of starch caused the increase of L* values of surimi–beef gels. Results showed that the excessive amount of starch resulted in the decrease in gel strength of surimi–beef gels.     

Effect of enzymatic cross-linking of β-casein on proteolysis by pepsin

Food texture has a significant influence on the sensation of satiety. The digestibility of a protein matrix can be decreased by e.g. disulfide cross-links during heating, but the structure and properties of a single protein molecule can also be modified by cross-linking enzymes. In this study the effects of cross-linking of β-casein by fungal Trichoderma reesei tyrosinase (TrTyr) and bacterial Streptoverticillium mobaraense transglutaminase (Tgase) on digestibility by proteolytic pepsin were investigated by different methods. The enzymatic reaction conditions were selected in such a way that high and low molecular mass cross-linked β-casein polymers were formed. SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) was used to analyze the pH stability of the cross-linked β-casein in acidic solution mimicking gastric conditions typically present during proteolytic digestion. In order to monitor the extent of pepsin digestion, the proteolytic process was halted at specific time points and aliquots of the reaction mixtures were subjected to SDS-PAGE, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometric (MALDI-TOF MS) analyses in order to evaluate sizes and quantities of the digested protein fragments. A pH-stat method was used to determine the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of the enzymatically cross-linked β-casein. The results demonstrated that enzymatically cross-linked β-casein was stable under acidic conditions and was more resistant to pepsin digestion when compared to non cross-linked β-casein. The research results will have high impact on the development of novel food structures with improved properties such as good satiety, controlled energy intake and digestibility.     

Aptasensor based on thionine,graphene–polyaniline composite film,and gold nanoparticles for kanamycin detection

An electrochemical aptasensor modified with thionine (TH), graphene–polyaniline composite film (Gr–PANI), and gold nanoparticles (GNPs) was fabricated for convenient and sensitive determination of kanamycin. Gr–PANI nanocomposite can enhance electron transfer between work electrode surface and potassium ferricyanide. TH has excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the redox of small molecular compounds. GNPs acted as the transducer between the aptamer and Gr–PANI composites. Based on the above-mentioned advantage of these three nanaomatrials, we took advantage of their synergistic effects to fabricate a simple and sensitive aptasensor for kanamycin detection in real milk samples. The aptasensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscope, and electrochemical differential pulse voltammetry. The experimental conditions such as concentration of aptamer, incubation temperature, time, and pH were optimized. Based on the above optimum conditions, this aptasensor showed a favorable analytical performance for kanamycin detection with a detection limit of 8.6 × 10^?9 M.     

Influence of ι-carrageenan, pectin, and gelatin on the physicochemical properties and stability of milk protein-stabilized emulsions

This study evaluated the stability of bilayer emulsions as a function of secondary layer composition and pH. Primary emulsions were formulated with 5% soybean oil, 1% protein from nonfat dry milk (NDM) powder as emulsifier and ι-carrageenan (ι-carr), low-methoxyl pectin (LMp), high-methoxyl pectin (HMp), or gelatin as secondary layers. ζ-Potential values increased for each emulsion as the pH decreased, with ι-carr emulsions being consistently more negatively charged than primary emulsions and significantly more stable. ζ-Potential values were not always correlated to emulsion stability. Gelatin secondary emulsions at pH 3 and HMp secondary emulsions at pH 7 were unstable due to the presence of depletion flocculation. In addition, LMp secondary emulsions stability at pH 7 might be due to calcium bridging, which increased the emulsion's viscosity. Overall, the stability of NDM emulsions was improved when ι-carr and LMp were used as secondary layers at pH 7 and 5, and when ι-carr and HMp were used as secondary layers at pH 3. Increased stability of these systems can be attributed to a second homogenization step used to formulate the secondary emulsions and to the presence of Ca(+2) in the NDM. Results from this research show that the stability of bilayer emulsions is driven by the presence of depletion flocculation, droplet charge, droplet size and distribution and viscosity. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The use of everyday ingredients (nonfat dry milk powder, gelatin, pectin, and carrageenan), which are understood and accepted by the average consumer, creates label-friendly products that are the wave of the future. Stable emulsions can be formed using these ingredients at various pH. Understanding the stability and how the pH impacts the physicochemical characteristics and stability of these emulsions will enable manufactures to use ordinary ingredients to create healthier products (for example, low-fat dressings, sauces, dips, and beverages).