Physical and mechanical properties in biodegradable films of whey protein concentrate-pullulan by application of beeswax.

Different ratios of whey protein concentrate (WPC):pullulan (PUL) (70:30, 50:50, 30:70%w/w) and various rates of beeswax (BW) (0, 10, 20, and 30%w/wglycerol) were applied to prepare biodegradable WPC-PUL films containing glycerol as a plasticizer, for the first time. Thickness, moisture content, water solubility, water vapour permeability, colour, and mechanical properties of prepared films were measured. Higher ratios of WPC:PUL led to more desirable physical and mechanical properties; in other words, lower rates of thickness, moisture content, water solubility and water vapour permeability, and higher elongations were achieved. Application of BW (especially in higher contents) could successfully improve colour indices, diminish water solubility (nearly 12%) and water vapour permeability (approximately 3×10(-11)gm(-1)s(-1)Pa(-1)), and increase tensile strength (by about 7MPa) of WPC-PUL blend films. Our edible films enjoyed great whiteness and ignorable yellowness indices, making it a suitable alternative for application in food products. Overall, WPC70-PUL30 containing 30% BW resulted in the best performance of physical and mechanical aspects as an optimum film.

Hydrophobicity, thermal and micro-structural properties of whey protein concentrate-pullulan-beeswax films.

In this research, effects of beeswax (BW) on functional properties of whey protein concentrates (WPC):pullulan (PUL) films were investigated. For this purpose, 0, 10, 20 and 30w/w(glycerol)% BW rates and 30:70, 50:50 and 70:30w/w% WPC:PUL ratios were applied. Films containing 70% WPC:30% PUL (WPC70) and 30% BW (BW30) justified the highest contact angle (92.4°) among all films; SEM micrographs indicated that BW could come toward the surface of films during drying stage and resulted in a higher hydrophobic behavior of bilayer films compared with blend films. WPC70 supplied the lowest T(g) values (36-48 °C) among different proportions of WPC-PUL; the highest melting points were just assured in the absence of BW regardless of combination ratio for WPI:PUL. BW30 films deserved lower roughness rates than BW20 (and even BW10) films, indicating more advantageous microstructure and higher hydrogen connections in BW30 films and justifying similar melting points attained for BW30 films to BW20 or 10 ones. Overall, application of WPC70 and BW30 was recommended to obtain optimum combination of final properties for WPC-PUL-BW bilayer films as SEM exhibited flexible and elastic structures of such films.