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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Bioproducts Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #269212
Title: Gelation, oxygen permeability and mechanical properties of mammalian and fish gelatin films

Author
item AVENA-BUSTILLOS, ROBERTO - University Of California
item Chiou, Bor-Sen
item Olsen, Carl
item Bechtel, Peter
item Olson, Donald
item McHugh, Tara

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2011
Publication Date: 8/22/2011
Citation: Avena-Bustillos, R.J., Chiou, B., Olsen, C.W., Bechtel, P.J., Olson, D.A., Mchugh, T.H. 2011. Gelation, oxygen permeability and mechanical properties of mammalian and fish gelatin films. Journal of Food Science. 76(7):E519-E524. DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02312.x.

Interpretive Summary: Gelatin films made from cold-water fishes have better oxygen barrier properties than those made from warm-water fish and mammalian sources. The reason is that cold-water fish gelatin films are amorphous. These results indicate that films made from cold-water fish gelatin have superior oxygen protection in possible gel capsule and packaging applications.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the gelation, thermal, mechanical and oxygen permeability properties of different mammalian, warm- and cold-water fish gelatin solutions and films. Mammalian gelatin solutions had the highest gel set temperatures, followed by warm-water fish and then cold-water fish gelatin solutions. These differences were related to concentrations of imino acids present in each gelatin, with mammalian gelatin having the highest and cold-water fish gelatin having the lowest concentrations. Mammalian and warm-water fish gelatin films contained helical structures, whereas cold-water fish gelatin films were amorphous. This was due to the films being dried at room temperature (23„a), which was below or near the gelation temperatures of mammalian and warm-water fish gelatin solutions and well above the gelation temperature of cold-water fish gelatin solutions. Tensile strength, percent elongation and puncture deformation were highest in mammalian gelatin films, followed by warm-water fish gelatin film and then by cold-water fish gelatin films. Oxygen permeability values of cold-water fish gelatin films were significantly lower than those for mammalian gelatin films. These differences were most likely due to higher moisture sorption in mammalian gelatin films, leading to higher oxygen diffusivity.