Properties of biodegradable blend films based on fish myofibrillar protein and polyvinyl alcohol as influenced by blend composition and pH level

Effects of the ratios of fish myofibrillar protein (FMP) from bigeye snapper (Priacanthus tayenus) to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (FMP:PVA; 10:0, 8:2, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6, 2:8, 0:10) and pH levels (3 and 11) on the properties of resulting films were investigated. Both tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EAB) of films increased with increasing PVA content (p<0.05). When PVA was incorporated up to 40%, films prepared at pH 11 had the higher TS than did those prepared at pH 3 (p<0.05). However, as PVA content was greater than 40%, films prepared at pH 3 exhibited the higher IS than did those prepared at pH 11 (p<0.05). Water vapor permeability (WVP) of the films prepared at pH 3 increased when PVA content increased up to 40% and decreased with further increases in PVA content (p <0.05). PVA films had the higher TS, EAB and WVP than did FMP films and FMP/PVA blend films prepared at both pHs. Films exhibited the increased L* and a* values but decreased b* value with increasing PVA content at both pHs. Films prepared at pH 11 showed higher b* value than did those prepared at pH 3 when PVA content was greater than 40% (p<0.05). FMP/PVA blend films exhibited the negligible transmission to the UV light. At pH 3, light transmission of the films increased as PVA content increased (p<0.05). At all FMP/PVA ratios, films prepared at pH 11 were less transparent than those prepared at pH 3 (p<0.05). Therefore, blend composition and pH level influenced the properties of FMP/PVA blend films. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.