The water vapour permeability, mechanical properties and solubility of fish gelatin-chitosan films modified with transglutaminase or 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and plasticized with glycerol

The effect of glycerol on the mechanical and water barrier properties, as well as on the water solubility, of fish gelatin-chitosan films (4:1, w/w) cross-linked with TGase or EDC was determined. The addition of glycerol in concentrations up to 30% (of the substrate mass) to the fish gelatin-chitosan films modified with TGase or EDC did not change their solubility in buffers of pH 3 and 6 at 25 degrees C or during heating at 100 degrees C for 60 min. The chemical and enzymatic cross-linking of the components did not increase the water barrier properties of the films. WVP of the films modified with EDC and TGase was not affected by glycerol at concentrations up to 25% of the substrate mass. Tensile strength of the films decreased after modification of the components with TGase or EDC, respectively, by about 25% and 40%. The elongations of the enzymatically modified films containing 20% of glycerol and of chemically modified films containing 15% of glycerol were, respectively, about 8 and 13 times higher than those of unplasticized films; however, the tensile strengths of plasticized films were, respectively, 2.5 and 5 times lower. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.