Abstract
Several proteins from animal and plant origin act as microbial transglutaminase substrate, a crosslinking enzyme capable of introducing isopeptide bonds into proteins between the aminoacids glutamines and lysines. This feature has been widely exploited to modify the biological properties of many proteins, such as emulsifying, gelling, viscosity, and foaming. Besides, microbial transglutaminase has been used to prepare bioplastics that, because made of renewable molecules, are able to replace the high polluting plastics of petrochemical origin. In fact, most of the time, it has been shown that the microbial enzyme strengthens the matrix of protein-based bioplastics, thus, influencing the technological characteristics of the derived materials. In this review, an overview of the ability of many proteins to behave as good substrates of the enzyme and their ability to give rise to bioplastics with improved properties is presented. Different applications of this enzyme confirm its important role as an additive to recover high value-added protein containing by-products with a double aim (i) to produce environmentally friendly materials and (ii) to find alternative uses of wastes as renewable, cheap, and non-polluting sources. Both principles are in line with the bio-economy paradigm.
Highlights
Plastic PollutionPetroleum-based plastics have found widespread applications in our daily life. Their versatility, exceptional features, such as high mechanical resistance, elasticity, and affordability, have been the main reasons for their success [1]
FurthermorRee,ferTenacbelse 1 sumBitmteravreitzchepsrottheiensm/maesionpofreoaustusirliecas obtained foDlelcorewasienign mthecehamniciaclrporobpiearltieesnanzdydmecereatsreeiantgmasent of th[2e4] different pronatenoinco-mbpaosseitde bioplastics produced in the lpaesrmt etawbiolityyears
Hernàndez-Balada et al [62], treated whey proteins derived from the cheese industry with mTGase in the presence of gelatin, coming from the leather industry, with the aim to use different protein-containing by-products for the production of bioplastics
Summary
Petroleum-based plastics have found widespread applications in our daily life. Their versatility, exceptional features, such as high mechanical resistance, elasticity, and affordability, have been the main reasons for their success [1]. The features of bioplastics produced from different protein sources, and some strategies to find applications of the mTGase-derived materials are currently under study and are here discussed. Some authors utilized three different thermo-stable proteins of casein, keratin, and soy protein isolate to enhance the thermal stabilities and mechanical properties of collagen fiber films using mTGase crosslinking [37]. Wu et al [38] prepared and investigated the features of collagen-based composite films crosslinked by mTGase and containing the antifungal molecule natamycin. Alvarado et al [42] tried to further improve the features of mTGase crosslinked fish-gelatin films by blending the protein with chitosan. The blending was responsible for the improvement of the physical and structural properties of the derived films
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