Effects of Mung Bean Hull Nanocrystalline Cellulose on the Performance of Whey Protein Concentrate Edible Film

Abstract:

Mung bean hull cellulose was used as the raw material to obtain nanocrystalline cellulose by sulfuric acid hydrolysis, which was applied to prepare a whey protein concentrate film. The morphology and crystalline structure of mung bean hull nanocrystalline cellulose and the effects of the amount of added mung bean hull nanocrystalline cellulose on the tensile strength, elongation at break, oxygen permeability, water vapor permeability, transmittance, and microstructure properties of whey protein concentrate films were evaluated. The results showed that the mung bean hull cellulose nanocrystals had a rod-shaped structure with the length ranging from 100 to 200 nm and the diameter ranging from 10 to 20 nm. In addition, the typical cellulose I structure was maintained, with relatively high crystallinity. Mung bean hull nanocrystalline cellulose had good compatibility with the whey protein concentrate. When the content of mung bean hull nanocrystalline cellulose was 1%, the lowest water vapor permeability [2.67 × 10-13 g/(cm?s?Pa)] and the highest transmittance of the films were reached, and the surface of the whey protein concentrate film was smooth and homogeneous. When the content of mung bean hull nanocrystalline cellulose was 2%, the tensile strength was highest (1.41 MPa), the elongation at break was 139.8%, and the lowest oxygen permeability [1.8 × 10-5cm3/(m2?d?Pa)] was obtained. The addition of mung bean hull nanocrystalline cellulose can effectively improve the performance of whey protein concentrate films.