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Contribution of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose to the Composite Edible Films and Coatings Properties

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), as the basic film-forming material, on the properties of edible films and coatings and, on the other hand, to examine the addition of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) or/and cyclodextrin (CD) to the HPMC films in various proportions. The investigation of the HPMC-CNC-CD triple combination was executed in the context of exploring innovative material combinations and enriching the existing literature in this field. Specifically, not only the properties of the final formed films and coatings were thoroughly investigated, but also the properties of the solutions from which they were formed. Thus, the addition of both CNC and CD improved most of the properties of the HPMC-based films. Specifically, with CNC as well as CD, oxygen and water vapor permeability decreased, while transparency and heterogeneity increased. Beyond that, CNC led to more stable structures with enhanced mechanical properties, whereas CD led to improved optical properties. Finally, the minimum viscosity value required to form a homogenous HPMC-CNC-CD film was determined at 2.94 mPa·s which corresponds to proportions of 50–30-20.

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Data Availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Abbreviations

AFM:

Atomic force microscopy

ATR:

Attenuated total reflectance

C*:

Chrome

–C=O:

Amide I

CD:

Beta-cyclodextrin

CH:

Chitosan

–CH2 :

Carboxylate group

CNC:

Cellulose nanocrystals

D:

Deformation at break

F:

Maximum breaking force

FTIR:

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

HN-CO:

Amide III

HPMC:

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose

NH:

Amide II

OP:

Oxygen permeability

PMC:

Polyelectrolyte-macroion complex

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

TS:

Tensile strength

WI:

Whiteness index

WVP:

Water vapor permeability

XRD:

X-ray diffraction

YI:

Yellow index

ΔE:

Difference of color

ε:

Elongation

η:

Viscosity

ρ:

Density

σ:

Breaking stress

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Funding

This research work was supported by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) under the HFRI PhD Fellowship grant (Fellowship Number: 1383).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 5 Iroon Polytechniou St., Polytechnioupoli, Zografou, 15780, Athens, Greece

    Angelos-Panagiotis Bizymis, Virginia Giannou & Constantina Tzia

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  1. Angelos-Panagiotis Bizymis
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  2. Virginia Giannou
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  3. Constantina Tzia
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Contributions

Angelos-Panagiotis Bizymis was responsible for conducting the experiments in the context of his doctoral dissertation and for writing the manuscript. Prof. Tzia was responsible for the design of the experiments and editing of the manuscript and Dr. Giannou contributed in reviewing the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Constantina Tzia.

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Bizymis, AP., Giannou, V. & Tzia, C. Contribution of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose to the Composite Edible Films and Coatings Properties. Food Bioprocess Technol 16, 1488–1501 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-023-03013-4

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