Becerra Maria E, Pérez-Blanco Reynell, Giraldo Oscar, Medina-Pimentel Lucia, Ruiz Christhy V
Laboratorio de Materiales Nanoestructurados y Funcionales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Manizales, Kilometro 9 vía al Aeropuerto, La Nubia, Manizales 170003, Colombia.
Grupo de Investigación en Procesos Químicos, Catalíticos y Biotecnológicos, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Manizales, Kilometro 9 vía al Aeropuerto, La Nubia, Manizales 170003, Colombia.
Molecules. 2025 Aug 7;30(15):3307. doi: 10.3390/molecules30153307.
As the demand for sustainable materials continues to grow, calcium caseinate (Cas) biopolymer films have emerged as promising alternatives to fossil-based plastics. However, their mechanical fragility and high-water sensitivity limit their application in packaging. In this study, we reinforced Cas films with zinc hydroxide nitrate (ZHN) using two incorporation methods: wet (ZHN-w) and dry (ZHN-d). We evaluated how each method affected the dispersion of the filler and, consequently, the functional properties of the films. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ZHN being used in biopolymeric films. Structural and morphological analyses showed better dispersion of ZHN in the wet-incorporated films. These samples exhibited a substantial increase in tensile strength, from 0.75 ± 0.00 MPa to 9.62 ± 2.45 MPa, along with a marked improvement in Young's modulus. The films also became less soluble in water, more resistant to swelling, and structurally more cohesive. In antimicrobial tests, the ZHN-w films showed stronger inhibition against and . Overall, this approach offers a simple and effective way to enhance protein-based films using food-safe materials, making them suitable for active and bio-based packaging applications.
随着对可持续材料的需求持续增长，酪蛋白钙（Cas）生物聚合物薄膜已成为化石基塑料的有前途的替代品。然而，它们的机械脆性和高水敏感性限制了它们在包装中的应用。在本研究中，我们使用两种掺入方法，即湿法（ZHN-w）和干法（ZHN-d），用硝酸氢氧化锌（ZHN）增强Cas薄膜。我们评估了每种方法如何影响填料的分散，进而影响薄膜的功能特性。据我们所知，这是首次报道ZHN用于生物聚合物薄膜。结构和形态分析表明，ZHN在湿法掺入的薄膜中分散得更好。这些样品的拉伸强度从0.75±0.00MPa大幅提高到9.62±2.45MPa，同时杨氏模量也有显著改善。薄膜在水中的溶解性也降低，更耐膨胀，结构上更具内聚性。在抗菌测试中，ZHN-w薄膜对[具体菌种1]和[具体菌种2]表现出更强的抑制作用。总体而言，这种方法提供了一种使用食品安全材料增强蛋白质基薄膜的简单有效方法，使其适用于活性和生物基包装应用。
