Development of Chitosan/Whey Protein Hydrolysate Composite Films for Food Packaging Application

Abstract

There is a significant drive towards the development of edible biocompatible films for food packaging application due to the environmental and health impacts of synthetic packaging materials. This has inspired the exploration of biodegradable natural polymers as packaging materials. To address the instant water disintegration of most natural polymers, polymers with conditional water solubility, such as chitosan (needing acidic conditions for dissolution in water), have gained significant research attention. To this end, chitosan has been blended with different natural proteins, including whey protein isolates, to prepare edible food films. However, consumption of whey protein isolates in their natural form has been proposed in the literature to prolong processing (digestion) time upon consumption. To circumvent this limitation, here we report the development of chitosan/whey protein hydrolysate-based edible films with additional antioxidant properties. The developed films revealed that the inclusion of whey protein hydrolysate improved physicochemical properties and mechanical strength of the films with tensile strength of 26.3 MPa at 1 wt% WPH loading compared to 10.9 MPa in control neat chitosan films (0 wt% WPH). Furthermore, chitosan/whey protein hydrolysate exhibited a significant (whey protein hydrolysate) dose-dependent antioxidant response with a maximum value of 83% DPPH in chitosan/WPH (1 wt%) films assessed using two different antioxidant assays. Based on the results from this study, we envisage the exploration of whey protein hydrolysate-based films for commercial food packaging application in future.

Dual Crosslinked Antioxidant Mixture of Poly(vinyl alcohol) and Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles as a Bioink for 3D Bioprinting

“…The XRD spectra of the NC particles shows characteristic peaks at 2θ = 33.12°, 55.76°, 69.87°, and 82.7°, which can be indexed as the (200), (311), (400), and (420) planes, respectively (Figure A); these results are in agreement with previously published reports. , In the case of the neat PVA hydrogel, a broad peak between 2θ = 20–25° is assigned to the polymer matrix. The broadness of the peak indicates the amorphous nature of the polymer, which is in agreement with previously published reports. − In the case of the PVA/NC hydrogels, we observed characteristic peaks for PVA and NC at 2θ = 20–25° (broad peak), ∼33.12°, and 55.76°, which were assigned to PVA and the (200) and (311) planes of NC, respectively. We also observed an expected increase in the intensity of the characteristic NC peaks as the NC loading increased for the PVA/NC hydrogels (Figure A).…”

Emerging Trends in Bioavailability and Pharma-Nutraceutical Potential of Whey Bioactives

“…GMP is a beneficial addition to the diets of people with liver illness because it is low in methionine and contains a lot of branched-chain amino acids. GMP is appropriate for people with phenylketonuria (PKU) because it does not contain phenylalanine [ 24 ]. The whey proteins lactoglobulin and lactalbumin include phenylalanine and contaminate GMP when it is separated from cheese whey.…”

Characterization of a Clove Essential Oil Slow-Release Microencapsulated Composite Film and Its Preservation Effects on Blueberry

“…11 Al-Hilifi et al added natural antioxidant anthocyanins to aloe vera gel coating for freshness packaging of fig fruits. 12 Zhou et al modified chitosan using glycidyl trimethylammonium, which has antimicrobial properties, and dihydroxy benzaldehyde, a natural polyphenol antioxidant, to prepare quaternate catechol-functionalized chitosan that can be used as a coating material for fruits. 13 Plant essential oils are natural antibacterial and antioxidant substances.…”

“…At present, for the preservation of fruits and vegetables, commonly used methods are refrigerated low-temperature preservation, air-conditioning preservation, or through a special way, such as the use of ultraviolet-light irradiation sterilization, ozone air-conditioning inhibition of cellular respiration, 1-MCP fumigation, and other measures to achieve the role of anticorrosion. − In addition, the addition of antioxidant and antimicrobial substances to the film-forming substrate can also produce some antimicrobial and antioxidant properties in the packaging . Al-Hilifi et al added a whey protein hydrolysate with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties to chitosan films for food packaging . Abdalla et al added Sicilian lemon essential oil with antimicrobial properties to films and coatings from pectin and chitosan for strawberry preservation packaging .…”