Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as a stabilizer for fabricating mineralized collagen films with improved wet mechanical properties

Authors: ZHU, KAIDI - Jiangnan University; YU, ZHE - Jiangnan University; LI, JIAN - Jiangnan University; Chiou, Bor-Sen; CHEN, MAOSHEN - Jiangnan University; ZHONG, FANG - Jiangnan University; LIU, FEI - Jiangnan University

Submitted to: Food Hydrocolloids
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2023
Publication Date: 12/20/2023
Citation: Zhu, K., Yu, Z., Li, J., Chiou, B., Chen, M., Zhong, F., Liu, F. 2023. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as a stabilizer for fabricating mineralized collagen films with improved wet mechanical properties. Food Hydrocolloids. 150. Article 109676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.109676.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.109676

Interpretive Summary: Collagen-based films are used in medical applications, such as scaffolds in tissue engineering, and food applications, such as casing for sausages. However, the films are prone to cracking. In this study, we immersed the films in dispersions containing sodium carboxymethyl cellulose-amorphous calcium phosphate (CMC-ACP) complexes to improve the films' properties. The CMC-ACP complexes can enter into the collagen films and improve their mechanical properties. The addition of CMC-ACP can also decrease the swelling ratio of the films. These results indicated that the properties of collagen-based films can be improved by modification with CMC-ACP.

Technical Abstract: Collagen casings, as a type of collagen film, have weak mechanical properties when wet. Therefore, in this study, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose was used to make sodium carboxymethyl cellulose-amorphous calcium phosphate composite (CMC-ACP) to improve the wet mechanical properties of collagen films. Collagen films were immersed in different CMC-ACP suspensions containing different CMC ratios for 30 min. The optimal CMC concentration was determined to be 0.2%, with the Young's modulus (YM) of the collagen film increasing from 0.043MPa to 0.054 MPa, elongation at break (EAB) increasing from 41.42% to 56.98%, tensile strength (TS) increasing from 1.51 MPa to 2.5 MPa, and toughness (TH) increasing from 316KJ/m3 to 797.63 KJ/m3. The effects of CMC concentration on the effectiveness of CMC-ACP and the mechanism of action on collagen films were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In conclusion, CMC-ACP can mineralize collagen films and improve their wet mechanical properties when using appropriate concentrations.