Structural and Thermal Properties of Electrospun Whey Protein/PEO Nanofibers (original) (raw)
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Electrospinning and heat treatment of whey protein nanofibers
Food Hydrocolloids, 2014
The ability to develop nanofibers containing whey proteins presents a unique opportunity to exploit the inherent benefits of whey protein with that of the desirable attributes of nanofibers. In this study, aqueous whey protein solutions, both whey protein isolate (WPI) and one of its major components betalactoglobulin (BLG), are electrospun into nanofibers in conjunction with a spinnable polymer, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). WP:PEO solution composition as high as 3:1 and with average fiber diameters ranging from 312 to 690 nm are produced depending on polymer composition and concentration. WP/ PEO solutions are also successfully electrospun at acidic pH (2 pH 3), which could improve shelf life. FTIR analysis of WP/PEO fiber mat indicates some variation in WP secondary structure with varying WPI concentration (as WPI increases, % a-helix increases and b-turn decreases) and pH (as pH decreases from neutral (7.5) to acidic (2), % b-sheet decreases and a-helix increases). XPS also confirms the presence of WP on the surface of the blend fibers, augmenting the FTIR analysis. Interestingly, WP/PEO composite nanofibers maintain its fibrous morphology at temperatures as high as 100 C, above the 60 C PEO melting point. In addition, the mats swell in water and retain a fibrous quality which makes them desirable for application in regenerative medicine. Finally, we incorporate a small hydrophobic molecule Rhodamine B (RhB) as a model flavonoid into WP/PEO nanofiber mats. The BLG:PEO nanofibers qualitatively exhibit improved fiber quality and RhB distribution compared to PEO nanofibers; however, no effect on the release profile is observed.
Electrospun Protein Nanofibers and Their Potential Food Applications
Mugla Journal of Science and Technology, 2020
Electrospun nanofibers with their large surface area, high porosity, small pore sizes, and ability of the high loading of active agents possess many structural and functional advantages for food applications. Proteins play significant roles in physicochemical and structural properties in foods. There has been a great interest in using proteins for the fabrication of nanofibers through electrospinning technique. Due to their molecular weight, most of the proteins are non-spinnable alone however; their spinnability can be enhanced by the incorporation of food-grade biocompatible polymers. In this review, the basics of the electrospinning technique were introduced first, followed by detailed information about electrospun nanofibers formed using plant and animal proteins. Common polymers blended with proteins to enhance their spinnability were also discussed. It the last part, the use of electrospun nanofibers in various food applications such as encapsulation of bioactive components, enzyme immobilization, and food packaging was emphasized.
Electrospun Protein Nanofibers and Their Food Applications
Muğla journal of science and technology, 2020
Electrospun nanofibers with their large surface area, high porosity, small pore sizes, and ability of the high loading of active agents possess many structural and functional advantages for food applications. Proteins play significant roles in physicochemical and structural properties in foods. There has been a great interest in using proteins for the fabrication of nanofibers through electrospinning technique. Due to their molecular weight, most of the proteins are non-spinnable alone however; their spinnability can be enhanced by the incorporation of food-grade biocompatible polymers. In this review, the basics of the electrospinning technique were introduced first, followed by detailed information about electrospun nanofibers formed using plant and animal proteins. Common polymers blended with proteins to enhance their spinnability were also discussed. It the last part, the use of electrospun nanofibers in various food applications such as encapsulation of bioactive components, enzyme immobilization, and food packaging was emphasized.
Food-grade electrospinning of proteins
Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 2013
Developing non-meat food products with an appealing structure is a challenge. In this study, we investigate the possibility to produce thin fibrils as building blocks for texturally interesting meat replacers. The technique applied is electrospinninga technique which produces thin fibrils with a high aspect ratio. The spinning of proteins is notoriously difficult and most proteins cannot be spun under food-grade conditions. Only two proteins are known to spin under food-grade conditions. Zein was spun from ethanol, and gelatin from warm water. The current study looks into the possibility of using one of these proteins as a carrier for other proteins. With gelatin it was possible to electrospin a range of globular proteins, showing for the first time electrospinning of globular proteins in a food-grade way. Next steps in the progress towards industrial application are the fixation and alignment of the fibrillar structures and upscaling of the process. Industrial relevance: The demand for high quality protein, that contains all essential amino acids, is growing. One of the challenges of alternative protein sources, such as plant storage protein, green leaf protein or insect protein, is to process it into a structurally appealing product. Fibrillar structure is acknowledged to play an essential role in giving texture and bite to protein products. Techniques for structuring include extrusion or shear cell texturizing. A technique on the nanoscale is not yet available. Such a technique can yield fibrils as building blocks for larger structures and in this way mimics meat. Electrospinning is one of the techniques that could fill that gap.
Electrospun Functional Materials toward Food Packaging Applications: A Review
Nanomaterials, 2020
Electrospinning is an effective and versatile method to prepare continuous polymer nanofibers and nonwovens that exhibit excellent properties such as high molecular orientation, high porosity and large specific surface area. Benefitting from these outstanding and intriguing features, electrospun nanofibers have been employed as a promising candidate for the fabrication of food packaging materials. Actually, the electrospun nanofibers used in food packaging must possess biocompatibility and low toxicity. In addition, in order to maintain the quality of food and extend its shelf life, food packaging materials also need to have certain functionality. Herein, in this timely review, functional materials produced from electrospinning toward food packaging are highlighted. At first, various strategies for the preparation of polymer electrospun fiber are introduced, then the characteristics of different packaging films and their successful applications in food packaging are summarized, incl...
Journal of the Iranian Chemical Society, 2020
This study aimed to use whey protein fibril (WPF) as a solubility enhancer for the quercetin at an acidic condition (pH 3.5) similar to the food beverages. The fibrillar aggregates formed by 6.0 h heating of whey protein solution showed the highest ability to form the soluble complexes with quercetin due to their high surface hydrophobicity. The sedimentation of quercetin during the storage was considerably decreased by binding to WPF. The association between WPF and quercetin through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding was detected by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The morphology of complexes was investigated using atomic force microscopy. The surface charge density, apparent viscosity, surface tension, and foaming properties (foaming capacity and foam stability) of WPF were affected by binding to quercetin. The bound quercetin endowed whey protein nanofibrils with a strong radical scavenging activity and reducing power. The release of quercetin from WPF-quercetin complex was investigated under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The results of this study revealed that whey protein nanofibril is an ideal natural nanoscale carrier for improving the water solubility of quercetin, and the resulting complexes can be used as novel multi-functional ingredients in the formulation of food products especially acidic beverages.
A novel nanocomposite for food packaging developed by electrospinning and electrospraying
Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 2019
The association of electrospinning and electrospraying can produce a new nanomaterial for coating sensitive bioactive compounds as phycocyanin and the final product of these process present characteristics which make it possible the application as food packaging with actives properties. The aim of this work was the development of a new nanofiber material with incorporated phycocyanin/polyvinyl alcohol nanoparticles (PC-PVAn) through electrospinning and electrospraying techniques. Nanoparticles were produced with 11% PVA and 2% PC (w v −1) upon a collector with deposited 12% polycaprolactone (PCL) or 13% poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) nanofibers. The PC-PVA nanoparticles presented nanoencapsulation efficiency of 75.1 ± 0.2% and provided antioxidant activity by the ABTS, DPPH and reducing power methods. The results obtained potentiate the application of nanomaterials produced by the association of electrospinning and electrospraying techniques in active food packaging due to their good thermal and mechanical characteristics and antioxidant capacity, which protect food from deterioration and increase their shelf-life.
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2014
Effects of heat treatment on structure and physicochemical properties of zein (Ze) and gallic acid loaded zein (Ze-GA) electrospun fiber mats were investigated. The electrospun fiber mats displayed different surface and physicochemical properties after being heat-cured at 150 °C for 24 h, which were closely related to the initial amount of loaded gallic acid. The gallic acid was released from the Ze-GA fiber mats in a constant manner, but heat curing decreased the rate of release. Heat curing remarkably increased the molecular weight of the Ze and Ze-GA electrospun fiber mats. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis of the fiber mats indicated variations in zein protein secondary structure after heat curing. (13)C solid state NMR (SS-NMR) confirmed the presence of a different chemical environment among the fiber mats. The fabrication of heat-cured zein based electrospun fibers in this study may find applications in the food packaging ...
Electrospinning of food-grade nanofibers from cellulose acetate and egg albumen blends
Edible nanofibrous thin films were fabricated for the first time from blend solutions of cellulose acetate (CA) in 85% acetic acid and egg albumen (EA) in 50% formic acid by electrospinning. The mass percentage ratios of CA-EA in the mixed solvents varied from 100:0 to 91:9, 77:23, 66:34 and 0:100. Effects of the blend ratios on the solution properties and morphology of the resulting electrospun products were studied. The results showed that EA lacked sufficient entanglement and also possessed very high surface tension, thereby being unable to form nanofibers. The addition of CA and surfactant (Tween40 Ò) decreased both the electrical conductivity and the surface tension of the blends (p < 0.05), which facilitated the formation of CA-EA blend nanofibers. Scanning electron microscopic images showed that the continuity of the blend fibers was improved with an increase in the EA ratio. Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy and thermo-gravimetric analysis results indicated that the obtained fibers were composed of both CA and EA constituents. This study demonstrated a potential to fabricate edible nanofibers from natural food biopolymers using the electrospinning technique. Due to the properties of EA, these nanofibers could provide new functionalities with respect to in vivo-controlled release of nutraceuticals and drugs.