Stability of the mechanical properties of edible films based on whey protein isolate during storage at different relative humidity

Formulations for whey protein isolate (WPI)-based films include low molecular weight plasticizers, which implies certain degree of instability of films properties due to plasticizer migration. The aim of this work was to study the effect of storage time on the mechanical properties of WPI films plasticized with two low molecular weight polyols: glycerol (Gly) and sorbitol (Sor). Films were stored inside cabins at 50% or 75% relative humidity (RH) and at room temperature. Mechanical properties and moisture content were measured at regular intervals for 30 weeks. The effect of plasticizer type and content and RH on mechanical properties right after equilibrium (1 week) was also included in this study.     

Fabrication and characterization of TiO2/whey protein isolate nanocomposite film

Composite films of whey protein isolate and TiO₂ are formed through three simultaneous processes, i.e., the self-assembly of protein–protein, TiO₂–TiO₂, and the association of protein–TiO₂. All the processes could be controlled by adjusting TiO₂ concentration in the blended system. The self-assembly of protein–protein molecules constituted the main network of the composite film. A low TiO₂ concentration (<0.25%) dispersed the TiO₂ nanoparticles in the protein matrix, reinforced the association of protein–TiO₂, reduced the ability of UVC absorption, and promoted the fluorescence and tensile strength of the composite films. In contrast, a high TiO₂ concentration (>0.25%) enhanced the self-assembly of TiO₂–TiO₂ nanoparticles, brought fluorescent quenching, and produced a decline of the tensile strength and water vapor permeability. The transmittance of the visible, UVA, and UVB lights showed a first order exponential decay relative to the TiO₂ concentration.     

Effect of the unsaturation degree and concentration of fatty acids on the properties of WPI-based edible films

The incorporation of lipids into hydrophilic protein films allows the modification of their barrier properties, improving its commercial application as preservation medium on different foods. The main objective of this study was to develop films from Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) together with saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and to determine the effect of concentration and unsaturation degree on surface tension of the coating solution and on water vapor permeability (WVP), mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation at break), and opacity, of the films. The results obtained showed that surface tension was significantly decreased by adding unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acid), whereas the greatest effect on WVP reduction was achieved with stearic acid. The addition of stearic acid resulted in a decrease of elongation and an increase of tension strength; however unsaturated fatty acid content did not modify the elongation and slightly reduce a tensile strength.     

Physical properties of edible emulsified films based on pistachio globulin protein and fatty acids

Novel edible composite films were prepared from pistachio globulin protein (PGP), saturated fatty acids, and an emulsifier using the emulsification technique. The water vapor permeability (WVP) of the emulsified films was reduced by approximately 37–43% by fatty acid addition. The effect of fatty acid on the oxygen permeability (OP) of PGP films was indirectly determined as the oil peroxide value. The OPs of the emulsified films were lower than those of a PGP film without fatty acid, but the differences were not significant (P < 0.05). The mechanical properties of PGP films were also affected by fatty acid addition; the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was diminished, and elongation at breaking (E) decreased considerably (35–70%). Furthermore, the incorporation of fatty acid increased the opacity of the films. Finally, differential scanning calorimetry showed that the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the PGP film was ∼127 °C and was not considerably affected by fatty acid addition.     

Potato starch edible films to control oxidative rancidity of polyunsaturated lipids: effects of film composition, thickness and water activity

The objective of this work was to study the effect of potato starch-based films acting as oxygen barrier on the oxidative rancidity of vegetable oil, as an example of a food rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. The effect of glycerol (Gly) content (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%), film thickness (30, 60, 100 μm) as well as environmental relative humidity (RH) (50% or 75%) were analysed. Results obtained confirmed that potato starch films delayed the rancidity in vegetable oil. Films without Gly provided the same protection as films with 10% Gly. Films with higher Gly content were not as effective oxygen barrier. It is likely that the fact that film protective capability diminished with increased RH or Gly content was due to the increasing moisture content of the films. Despite that fact, potato starch films can be considered a very efficient oxygen barrier even at RH as high as 75%.     

Effect of clay content on the physical and antimicrobial properties of whey protein isolate/organo-clay composite films

Whey protein isolate (WPI)/Cloisite 30B organo-clay composite films with different amounts of the clay (0, 5, 10, and 20 g/100 g WPI) were prepared using a solution casting method and their properties were determined to assess the effects of clay content on film properties. The resulting films had an opaque appearance, which depended on the amount of clay added, and a similar gloss. However, the composite films were slightly less transparent compared to the transparent neat WPI films. Film properties, such as surface color and optical properties, varied depending on clay content. The haze index of the WPI/clay composite films as assessed by surface reflectance decreased indicating that the surface of the films was more smooth and homogeneous. The tensile and water vapor barrier properties of the composite films were also influenced by the amount of incorporated clay. In addition, WPI/Cloisite 30B composite films showed a beneficially bacteriostatic effect against Listeria monocytogenes.     

超声辐射对大豆分离蛋白膜性能的影响

研究了超声辐射在频率为20kHz,功率为800W条件下,不同处理时间对大豆分离蛋白膜性能的影响。结果表明,超声辐射对膜性能有明显的改善作用。经超声辐射处理2min可以显著提高膜的抗拉强度,相对于对照样提高了64.08%(P≤0.05);同时也明显降低了膜的水蒸汽透过系数,相对于对照样降低了25.70%(P≤0.05)。经超声处理后的膜机械强度和阻湿性能均得到了提高,同时具有均匀透明的外观。     

Ability of whey protein isolate and/or fish gelatin to inhibit physical separation and lipid oxidation in fish oil-in-water beverage emulsion

The effect of pH on the capability of whey protein isolate (WPI) and fish gelatin (FG), alone and in conjugation, to form and stabilize fish oil-in-water emulsions was examined. Using layer-by-layer interfacial deposition technique for WPI–FG conjugate, a total of 1% protein was used to prepare 10% fish oil emulsions. The droplets size distributions and electrical charge, surface protein concentration, flow and dynamic rheological properties and physiochemical stability of emulsions were characterize at two different pH of 3.4 and 6.8 which were selected based on the ranges of citrus and milk beverages pHs, respectively. Emulsions prepared with WPI–FG conjugate had superior physiochemical stability compare to the emulsions prepared with individual proteins. Higher rate of coalescence was associated with reduction in net charge and consequent decrease of the repulsion between coated oil droplets due to the proximity of pH to the isoelectric point of proteins. The noteworthy shear thinning viscosity, as an indication of flocculation onset, was associated with whey protein stabilized fish oil emulsion prepared at pH of 3.4 and gelatin stabilized fish oil emulsion made at pH of 6.8. At pH 3.4, it appeared that lower surface charge and higher surface area of WPI stabilized emulsions promoted lipid oxidation and production of hexanal.     

Effect of cooking on protein oxidation in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids enriched beef. Implication on nutritional quality

The effect of cooking on protein oxidation was investigated in M. Longissimus thoracis of eight Normand cows fed during a 100 days finishing period with two different diets: a conventional diet (concentrate/straw based diet) and a diet rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), obtained by addition to the conventional diet of a mixture of extruded linseed and extruded rapeseed. After 11 days storage, at 4 °C under vacuum, meat was cooked by applying jets of steam. Three experimental heating treatments were tested: two with constant surface temperatures of 65 and 96 °C during 300 s, and one with a continuous increasing surface temperature up to 207 °C. Protein oxidation was evaluated by the measurement of carbonyls, aromatic amino acids, and free thiols content. The formation of Schiff bases due to the reaction of proteins with aldehydic products of the lipid oxidation was also evaluated. Cooking resulted in a significant increase of carbonyl groups and Schiff bases as well as a significant degradation of tyrosine and tryptophan. Nevertheless, enrichment of the animal diet in n-3 PUFAs had minor effects on protein oxidation induced by cooking which are unlikely to be of nutritional significance.     

Physical assessment of composite biodegradable films manufactured using whey protein isolate,gelatin and sodium alginate

Composite films were manufactured using whey protein isolate (WPI), gelatin (G) and sodium alginate (SA) using a simplex centroid design. Tensile strength (TS), puncture strength (PT), percentage elongation at break point (E), tear strength (TT), water vapour permeability (WVP) and oxygen permeability (OP) of films were evaluated. The interactions between biopolymers showed quadratic effects (P < 0.01) on TS, E, PT, TT and WVP values. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to investigate the microstructures of composite films. The proportion of ingredients required to produce the optimum composite films was determined to be: WPI (g):G (g):SA (g) = 8.0:12.0:5.0. Overall, films (WPIGSA-9) produced using the combination of WPI (g):G (g):SA (g) = 10.0:16.0:14.0 demonstrated the best barrier to oxygen (8.00 cm³ μm/m² d kPa); while films (WPIGSA-1) showed the best barrier to water vapour (48.04 g mm/kPa d m²); films (WPIGSA-6) using the combination of WPI (g):G (g):SA (g) = 10.0:17.5:22.5 had the best mechanical properties of all of the experimental composite films tested.     

Oil-in-water emulsions as a delivery system for n-3 fatty acids in meat products

The oxidative and physical stabilities of oil-in-water emulsions containing n-3 fatty acids (25 wt.% oil, 2.5 wt.% whey protein, pH 3.0 or pH 6.0), and their subsequent incorporation into meat products were investigated. The physical stability of fish oil emulsions was excellent and neither coalescence nor aggregation occurred during storage. Oxidative stability was better at pH 6.0 compared to pH 3.0 likely due to antioxidative continuous phase proteins. Incorporation of fish oil emulsions into pork sausages led to an increase in oxidation compared to sausages without the added fish oil emulsion. Confocal microscopy of pork sausages with fish oil emulsions revealed that droplets had coalesced in the meat matrix over time which may have contributed to the decreased oxidative stability. Results demonstrate that although interfacial engineering of n-3 fatty acids containing oil-in-water emulsions provides physical and oxidative stability of the base-emulsion, their incorporation into complex meat matrices is a non-trivial undertaking and products may incur changes in quality over time.     

Solubility and mechanical properties of heat-cured whey protein-based edible films compared with that of collagen and natural casings

Water solubility, tensile strength (TS), wet strength (WS) and elongation at break (%E) of whey protein isolate (WPI) films were compared to that of collagen films and natural casings. Increase in heat-curing temperature and time caused decreased ( P <  0.001) water solubility and increased TS and WS of the films. Heat-cured WPI films with similar properties (solubility, TS, WS and %E) to collagen films were obtained by optimizing heat-curing conditions. Overall, natural casings had lower solubility, TS and %E but higher WS than collagen and heat-cured WPI films. Heat-cured WPI films have the potential as an alternative to collagen films and casings.     

Properties of and mechanisms of protein interactions in films formed from different proportions of heated and unheated whey protein solutions

A range of films were formed using different proportions of heated (80°C for 30 min) and unheated whey protein isolate (WPI) solutions. The films, with lower proportions of heated WPI solution had lower percentage elongation, tensile strength and Young's modulus, higher solubility and, in general, similar water vapour permeability, compared with a film formed from a heated WPI solution. Hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding dominated in the formation of the films with lower proportions of heated WPI solution, whereas disulphide bonding played a more important role in the formation of films with higher proportions of heated WPI solution.     

大豆分离蛋白与谷朊粉可食性复合膜研究

该文报道影响大豆分离蛋白与谷朊粉复合膜成膜因素,分析各种因素对复合膜性能影响,并对正交试验结果采用极差分析和综合评分法进行评定,得到制备综合性能良好的可食性膜最佳条件为:谷朊粉与大豆分离蛋白比例为1∶5,甘油量为20%,pH为11,预热处理温度和时间分别为80℃和40min;此时,膜的透光率、拉伸强度、撕裂强度、水分含量和水蒸汽透过率依次为60.5%、38.38MPa、198.02N/mm、13.87%和0.507g·mm/kPa·h·m2。     

Synthesis of monoacylglycerol rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids from tuna oil with immobilized lipase AK

The aim of this study was to produce monoacylglycerols (MAG) rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), by glycerolysis of tuna oil with lipase AK from Pseudomonas fluorescence immobilized on Accurel EP-100 (IM-AK). tert-Butyl methyl ether (MTBE) was the most suitable organic solvent after screening a list of different solvents and their mixtures. The optimum conditions for MAG production were: 10% w/v of tuna oil in MTBE; mole ratio of glycerol to tuna oil 3:1, water added 4 wt% in glycerol; the amount of IM-AK 30 wt%, based on tuna oil. The temperature was controlled at 45 °C. Under these conditions, with a 24 h reaction, the yield of MAG was 24.6%, but containing 56.0 wt% PUFA (EPA and DHA). Stability of the IM-AK was also studied. The hydrolytic activity of the enzyme remained at 88% and 80% of initial activity after incubating in MTBE for 24 h at 4 and 45 °C, respectively. The K_m and V_max values of the lipase-catalyzed glycerolysis of tuna oil in MTBE were found to be 19.5 mM and 2.71 mg MAG/min, respectively, for IM-AK.     

Kinetics of phase separation during pressure-induced gelation of a whey protein isolate

The kinetic process of pressure-induced gelation of whey protein isolate (WPI) solutions (20–28%, w/v) was studied using in situ light scattering. The gelation of WPI solutions could be induced by pressurization at 250 MPa, a pressure lower than that reported in other studies. The gelation time decreased with increasing WPI concentration and followed an exponential rule. The relationship of the logarithm of scattered light intensity (I) versus time (t) was linear after the induced time and could be described by the Cahn–Hilliard linear theory. With increasing time, the scattered intensity deviated from the exponential relationship, and the time evolution of the scattered light intensity maximum I_m and the corresponding wavenumber q_m could be described in terms of the power-law relationship as I_m  t^β and q_m  t^−α, respectively. These results indicated that phase separation occurred during the gelation of WPI solutions under high pressure.     

Characterisation of binding of iron to sodium caseinate and whey protein isolate

The fortification of dairy products with iron is an important approach to delivering iron in required quantities to the consumer. The binding of iron (ferrous sulfate) to two commercial milk protein products, sodium caseinate and whey protein isolate (WPI), dissolved in 50 mM HEPES buffer, was examined as a function of pH and iron concentration. Sodium caseinate had more sites (n = 14) than WPI (n = 8) for binding iron, and the affinity of caseinate to bind iron was also higher than that of WPI. These differences were attributed to the presence of clusters of phosphoserine residues in casein molecules, which are known to bind divalent cations strongly. The amount of iron bound to sodium caseinate was found to be independent of pH in the range 5.5–7.0, whereas acidification (pH range 7.0–3.0) caused a marked decrease in the amount of iron bound to WPI.     

Effect of temperature,pH and film thickness on nisin release from antimicrobial whey protein isolate edible films

BACKGROUND: An active packaging film based on whey protein isolate (WPI) was developed by incorporating nisin to promote microbial food safety. The effect of temperature and pH on the release of nisin from edible films of different thickness was investigated. The film mechanical properties and inhibitory effect were also evaluated. RESULTS: Nisin release was significantly favoured by low pH, with the highest release after 24 h (1325 IU), which was not significantly affected by temperature (5 or 10 °C). Thickness significantly affected film elongation, with thicker films showing the highest elongation (54.3 ± 2.7%). Water vapour permeability (0.15 ± 0.4 g mm m^?2 kPa^?1 h^?1) and elastic modulus were not significantly affected by thickness. The highest nisin effective diffusivity (5.88 × 10^?14 m² s^?1) was obtained using a solution at pH 4, 112 µm film thickness and a temperature of 5 °C. More than four log cycles of Brochotrix thermosphacta were reduced from the surface of a ham sample after 8 days of incubation at 4 °C by the active WPI film containing 473 IU cm^?2 nisin. CONCLUSION: Nisin diffusivity from WPI edible films was favoured at lower pH and film thickness. This active packaging film may be used to preserve the quality and safety of meat products. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Reducing the stiffness of concentrated whey protein isolate (WPI) gels by using WPI microparticles

Concentrated protein gels were prepared using native whey protein isolate (WPI) and WPI based microparticles. WPI microparticles were produced by making gel pieces from a concentrated WPI suspension (40% w/w), which were dried and milled. The protein within the microparticles was denatured and the protein concentration after drying was similar to the native WPI powder. WPI microparticles had irregular shape with an average size of about 70 μm. They absorbed water when dispersed in water, but the dispersion did not gel upon heating. Replacing part of the native WPI powder with WPI microparticles in the protein gel resulted in lower gel stiffness compared with a gel with the same overall protein concentration but without microparticles. However, microparticles also strengthened the continuous phase because they take up water from this phase. This might increase gel stiffness more than would be expected from an inert particle/filler. There was also good bonding between the microparticles and the WPI continuous phase in the gel, which contributed to gel stiffness.