Development of composite electrospun films utilizing soy protein amyloid fibrils and pullulan for food packaging applications

Yabo Dong; Tian Lan; Luying Wang; Xing Wang; Zejian Xu; Lianzhou Jiang; Yan Zhang; Xiaonan Sui

doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100995

Development of composite electrospun films utilizing soy protein amyloid fibrils and pullulan for food packaging applications

Food Chem X. 2023 Nov 11:20:100995. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2023.100995. eCollection 2023 Dec 30.

Authors

Yabo Dong¹, Tian Lan¹, Luying Wang¹, Xing Wang¹, Zejian Xu¹, Lianzhou Jiang¹, Yan Zhang², Xiaonan Sui¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
² College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.

Abstract

Electrospun films (ESF) are gaining attention for active delivery due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. This study investigated the impact of adding soy protein amyloid fibrils (SAFs) to ESF. Functional ESF based on SAFs/pullulan were successfully fabricated, with SAFs clearly observed entangled in the electrospun fibers using fluorescence microscopy. The addition of SAFs improved the mechanical strength of the ESF threefold and increased its surface hydrophobicity from 24.8° to 49.9°. Moreover, the ESF demonstrated antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In simulated oral disintegration tests, almost 100% of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) dissolved within 4 min from the ESF. In summary, the incorporation of SAFs into ESF improved their mechanical strength, hydrophobicity, and enabled them to exhibit antibacterial properties, making them promising candidates for active delivery applications in food systems. Additionally, the ESF showed efficient release of EGCG, indicating their potential for controlled release of bioactive compounds.

Keywords: Electrospun nanofibers; Orally disintegrating films; Pullulan; Soy protein amyloid fibrils.