Abstract
Background: Gelatin is a renewable, biodegradable, and inexpensive food polymer. The insufficient mechanical and functional properties of gelatin-based films (GBF) restrict their commercial application in food packaging. This work proposed a facile strategy to prepare an active and robust GBF that has the potential to be used in food packaging. Methods: A strong and active GBF was prepared based on the principle of supramolecular chemistry via the incorporation of gallic acid (GA) as an active crosslinking agent and of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) as a reinforcing agent. Results: Under the appropriate concentration (1.0 wt%), MFC was evenly dispersed in a gelatin matrix to endow the film with low surface roughness and compact structure. Compared with the GF, the tensile strength and elongation at break of the resultant film reached 6.09 MPa and 213.4%, respectively, representing the corresponding improvement of 12.8% and 27.6%. Besides, a significantly improved water vapor barrier (from 3.985 × 10−8 to 3.894 × 10−8 g·m−1·Pa−1·s−1) and antioxidant activity (from 54.6% to 86.4% for ABTS radical scavenging activity; from 6.0% to 89.1% for DPPH radical scavenging activity) of GBFs were also observed after introducing the aromatic structure of GA and nano-/microfibrils in MFC. Moreover, the UV blocking performance and thermal stability of GGF and GGCFs were also enhanced. Conclusions: this work paves a promising way toward facile preparation of multifunctional GBFs that have great potential to be used in fabricating active and safe food packaging materials for food preservation.
Highlights
In the food industry, petroleum-based plastic film has been the frontrunner for decades due to its low price and high stability [1]
In light of the aforementioned results, it was suggested that the antioxidant ability of gelatin-based film (GBF) incorporated with gallic acid (GA) was favorable, and the introduction of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) would not cause obvious negative effects and could improve the mechanical strength of GBFs when a suitable MFC concentration was employed, which is beneficial for the fabrication of active and robust GBFs
The interconnected crosslinking network was established in the gelatin matrix by integration with gallic acid (GA) and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) via forming multiple noncovalent interactions between gelatin, GA, and MFC chains, including hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and π–π interactions
Summary
Petroleum-based plastic film has been the frontrunner for decades due to its low price and high stability [1]. Aldehydes are the most widely used modification reagents since aldehyde-containing groups can react with amino groups to form stable Schiff base covalent bonds [17,18], improving the crosslinking degree of gelatin molecules. Owing to this beneficial effect, the introduction of aldehydes at a low concentration can enhance the thermal stability and mechanical properties of GFs. Nowadays, food safety is attracting more and more serious attention; the safety of these highly active aldehyde reagents, especially of glutaraldehyde that features cytotoxicity, has been highly concerning [19]; modification reagents must be carefully selected when used in food packaging films. Conclusions: this work paves a promising way toward facile preparation of multifunctional GBFs that have great potential to be used in fabricating active and safe food packaging materials for food preservation
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