Rodrigo Vinicius Lourenço

Properties of active gelatin films incorporated with rutin-loaded nanoemulsions

Physico-chemical, mechanical, barrier, release profiles and antioxidant properties of composite gelatin based-films incorporated with rutin-loaded oil-in-water nanoemulsion, at various concentrations (5, 10, 15, or 20% (based on the weight of the gelatin powder)) were studied. All the gelatin/rutin-loaded nanoemulsion films displayed higher tensile strength and higher elongation at break than the gelatin control film. The composite films did not show significant differences in thickness, color, brightness and transparency. The structural properties evaluated by FTIR showed that the rutin-loaded nanoemulsion achieved complete miscibility within the gelatin matrix. All the gelatin/nanoemulsion films exhibited compact and homogenous microstructure. In addition, these films showed high antioxidant activities monitored by DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power activities. The Korsmeyer-Peppas model described well the rutin release profile. Rutin release was mainly governed by Fickian diffusion with simultaneous interfering swelling and disintegration phenomena. These results indicate that nanoemulsions-in-gelatin systems can function as potential active packaging systems to enhance shelf life of food products and then to provide a high-quality products (fresh/safe).

Properties of gelatin-based films incorporated with chitosan-coated microparticles charged with rutin

The aim of this study was development an active film based on gelatin incorporated with antioxidant, rutin carried into microparticles. The complexation between oppositely charged lecithin and chitosan was applied to prepare the chitosan-coated microparticles. The generated microparticles had an average size of 520±4nm and a span of 0.3 were formulated by a rotor-stator homogenize at the homogenization speed 10,000rpm. Composite films were prepared by incorporating chitosan-coated microparticles, at various concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.5, or 1% (based on the weight of the gelatin powder)) in the gelatin-based films. For the prepared films, the results showed that obtained physicochemical, water vapor barrier, and mechanical were compared with native gelatin film with a slight decrease for chitosan concentration higher than 0.5%. The microstructure studies done by scanning electron microscopes, revealed different micropores embedded with oil resulting from the incorporation of the microparticles into the gelatin matrix. Moreover, the calorimetric results were comparable to those of gelatin control film with Tg value 45°C and increased crystallinity percentage with increasing incorporation of microparticles. This original concept of composite biodegradable films may thus be a good alternative to incorporate liposoluble active compounds to design an active packaging with good properties.

Physicochemical Properties of Maranta (Maranta arundinacea L.) Starch

Maranta (Maranta arundinacea L.) can be considered as a non-conventional raw material for starch. The objective of this work was to characterize the maranta starch. These starch granules had spherical and elongated geometries with average size of 56.60 μm. The maranta starch presented B-type crystal, revealed by x-ray spectra, and gelatinization temperature of 65.5°C as determined by thermal (differential scanning calorimetry) analysis. Maranta starch suspensions have a pseudoplastic behavior which was well described using a power law model. Storage and loss moduli increased drastically during gelatinization process, corroborating with differential scanning calorimetry results. In general, maranta starch could have numerous applications in the food industry.Maranta (Maranta arundinacea L.) can be considered as a non-conventional raw material for starch. The objective of this work was to characterize the maranta starch. These starch granules had spherical and elongated geometries with average size of 56.60 μm. The maranta starch presented B-type crystal, revealed by x-ray spectra, and gelatinization temperature of 65.5°C as determined by thermal (differential scanning calorimetry) analysis. Maranta starch suspensions have a pseudoplastic behavior which was well described using a power law model. Storage and loss moduli increased drastically during gelatinization process, corroborating with differential scanning calorimetry results. In general, maranta starch could have numerous applications in the food industry.

Microstructure and physical properties of nano-biocomposite films based on cassava starch and laponite

The aim of this research was to study the effects of laponite concentrations on some properties of nano-biocomposite films based on cassava starch, focusing mainly the relation between the properties of the surface microstructure and roughness, water contact angle and gloss. Nano-biocomposite films were produced by casting. We analyzed gloss, color, opacity, water contact angle, crystallinity by X-ray diffraction, and microstructure by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Texture parameters (energy, entropy and fractal dimension) were extracted from micrographs. We observed a great impact of laponite in the morphology of nano-biocomposite films. Texture parameters correlated with surface heterogeneity and roughness. Finally, surface roughness affected the surface hydrophilicity of nano-biocomposite films. Laponite platelets were exfoliated and/or intercalated with amylose and amylopectin chains. This research reports new information on the effects of laponite concentrations on the morphological, optical and wetting properties of nano-biocomposite films aiming future industrial applications.