Effect of Ethanol on the Structural and Functional Properties of Silk Fibroin
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Abstract:
In order to study the structural characteristics and functional properties of silk fibroin in the presence of ethanol, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to measure surface tension, emulsifying properties, emulsion stability, foaming properties, foam stability, and protein solubility. The FT-IR spectra indicated a significant increase in the β-sheet structures of the silk fibroin sample after the addition of ethanol to the solvent system. The SEM analysis showed that the silk fibroin was dissolved more completely in the calcium chloride-ethano-water (CCEW) system than in the calcium chloride-water (CCW) system. With increasing dialysis time, the lowest surface tension and critical micelle concentration of the silk fibroin in the CCEW system were much lower than those in the CCW system. In addition, for the CCEW system-treated silk fibroin solution, the best emulsifying property (about 97.51%), emulsion stability (about 355.49%), and foam stability were achieved after dialysis times of 20, 15, and 10 h, respectively. For the silk fibroin solution treated with CCW system, the best emulsifying property (96.23%), emulsion stability (about 200.86%), and foam stability were achieved after dialysis times of 25, 20, and 15 h, respectively. Therefore, the addition of ethanol can effectively improve the structural and functional properties of silk fibroin, and this research could provide a theoretical basis for the development of silk protein-based surfactants.
