Silk Sericin Protein Materials: Characteristics and Applications in Food-Sector Industries

Abstract

There is growing concern about the use of plastic in packaging for food materials, as this results in increased plastic waste materials in the environment. To counter this, alternative sources of packaging materials that are natural and based on eco-friendly materials and proteins have been widely investigated for their potential application in food packaging and other industries of the food sector. Sericin, a silk protein that is usually discarded in large quantities by the sericulture and textile industries during the degumming process of manufacturing silk from silk cocoons, can be explored for its application in food packaging and in other food sectors as a functional food and component of food items. Hence, its repurposing can result in reduced economic costs and environmental waste. Sericin extracted from silk cocoon possesses several useful amino acids, such as aspartic acid, glycine, and serine. Likewise, sericin is strongly hydrophilic, a property that confers effective biological and biocompatible characteristics, including antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-tyrosinase properties. When used in combination with other biomaterials, sericin has proved to be effective in the manufacture of films or coating or packaging materials. In this review, the characteristics of sericin materials and their potential application in food-sector industries are discussed in detail.

Biopolymer-loaded plasma-mediated multi-functional finishes of polypropylene fabrics

“…Sericin was extracted from silkworm cocoons according to the method described by Martínez et al 37 The molecular mass of the extracted sericin was 29 kDa (measured by electrophoresis), and its concentration was0.1% (w/v). 38 Gelatin, with a molecular weight of 21 kDa, was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, Dublin, Ireland. Glutardialdehyde (25% wt/v in water) was supplied by ACROS Organics, Geel, Belgium.…”

Advancements in amyloid-based biological materials for healthcare, environmental and sensing applications

“…This conversion facilitates gelation and formation of sericin gel when sericin is exposed to suitable temperature and chemical treatments. 116,119 The hydrogen bonds are responsible for the glue-like properties of silk fibres, allowing their use in cosmetics, food, and other biomedical applications in hydrogels, tissue engineering and drug delivery. [120][121][122][123][124][125] Fibroin is a glycoprotein that consists of two subunits of proteins: heavy chains having repetitive hydrophobic blocks and light chains comprising non-repetitive hydrophilic blocks in an equimolar ratio connected by disulfide bonds.…”

Waste to Wealth: Exploring the Versatile Prospects of Discarded Silk Sericin

“…A majority of current reviews emphasize on the development of silk sericin-based biomaterials used in drug delivery and tissue engineering, , and in food and pharmaceutical industries, , etc. However, few reviews elaborate on the fundamental properties of sericin as well as other aspects of this compound such as extraction routes, possible chemical modifications, various blends, etc.…”