Optimization of hydrodynamic degumming of flax fiber for improved biochemical profile

Abstract

Flax fibers have bioactive properties due to their biochemical composition. The quality of the fibers is the main parameter that determines the application, and the process of obtaining fibers has a crucial impact on the composition and properties of fibers. Therefore, this study aimed to enhance the quality of flax fibers by optimizing the hydrodynamic degumming process of decorticated flax fibers. Flax fibers, both non-transgenic (Nike) and transgenic (B14) fibers with overexpression of the β-1,3-glucanase gene from potato, were obtained through nine processes that varied in the degumming temperature, degumming time, and rinsing temperature. The content of phenolic, terpene and polyamine compounds as well as antioxidant activity was determined in the fibers. Two processes, due to having the highest content of bioactive compounds, were selected for further analyses: determination of the chemical composition and structure of plant cell walls, and in vitro tests on the culture of the V79 hamster lung fibroblast cell line. Both processes led to an increase in the content of cellulose and hemicellulose, along with a decrease in the amount of pectin in B14 fibers, indicating changes in the structure of the cell wall. Water extract containing phenolic compounds obtained from flax fiber resulted in increased viability of the V79 fibroblasts and did not show changes in the level of transcripts of inflammatory genes. Based on the obtained results, process VI was identified as the most effective for obtaining flax fibers of the best quality. Additionally, the study confirmed that transgenic B14 fibers exhibited better quality than non-transgenic fibers. The findings highlight the potential of the methods used to obtain flax fibers, which may significantly impact their properties.