Kim Yurim, Yoon Juhee, Kim Jihyeon, Kim Hyemin, Park Sangwoo, Jin Hyoung-Joon, Kwak Hyo Won
Program in Environmental and Polymer Engineering, Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212, South Korea.
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jan;286:138370. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.138370. Epub 2024 Dec 4.
The replacement of petroleum-based plastic packaging with sustainable biopolymer-based materials is still a significant challenge. In the current study, we present a novel approach to impart the multifunctionality of fibroin film through a facile fructose-mediated crosslinking process. By generating a synergistic effect by inducing the transition to β-sheet structure and introducing covalent bonds within the fibroin chain, we effectively controlled the physicochemical characteristics of fibroin film, resulting in exceptional mechanical properties surpassing previous fibroin-based films. The fructose-crosslinked fibroin films exhibited exceptional mechanical properties, including a toughness of 3767.73 kPa and a Young's modulus of 3.06 GPa, surpassing previously reported fibroin-based films. The films also demonstrated excellent optical properties, with 98.49 % transmittance at 700 nm. Moisture stability was significantly enhanced, as the incorporation of fructose reduced water solubility by increasing β-sheet crystallinity and improved bulk water retention through its hygroscopic properties. Additionally, Maillard reaction products formed during crosslinking provided superior ultraviolet shielding and enhanced antioxidant properties, making the films ideal for active food packaging. The multifunctionality of fructose-crosslinked fibroin film significantly improves food storage stability when used in sustainable and eco-friendly food packaging applications. This high-performance fructose-mediated crosslinked fibroin film with a developed β-sheet structure emerges as a promising alternative to petroleum-based materials, offering a sustainable solution for the advanced packaging field.
用可持续的生物聚合物基材料替代石油基塑料包装仍然是一项重大挑战。在当前的研究中，我们提出了一种新颖的方法，通过简便的果糖介导交联过程赋予丝素蛋白膜多功能性。通过诱导向β-折叠结构转变并在丝素蛋白链内引入共价键产生协同效应，我们有效地控制了丝素蛋白膜的物理化学特性，从而获得了超越以往丝素蛋白基薄膜的优异机械性能。果糖交联的丝素蛋白膜表现出卓越的机械性能，包括3767.73 kPa的韧性和3.06 GPa的杨氏模量，超过了先前报道的丝素蛋白基薄膜。这些薄膜还具有出色的光学性能，在700 nm处的透光率为98.49%。由于果糖的加入通过增加β-折叠结晶度降低了水溶性，并通过其吸湿性能提高了整体保水能力，水分稳定性得到了显著增强。此外，交联过程中形成的美拉德反应产物提供了优异的紫外线屏蔽和增强的抗氧化性能，使这些薄膜成为活性食品包装的理想选择。当用于可持续和环保的食品包装应用时，果糖交联丝素蛋白膜的多功能性显著提高了食品储存稳定性。这种具有发达β-折叠结构的高性能果糖介导交联丝素蛋白膜成为石油基材料的一个有前途的替代品，为先进包装领域提供了一个可持续的解决方案。
