Synthesis and Characterization of Konjac Glucomannan / Carrageenan /Nano-silica Films for the Preservation of Postharvest White Mushrooms

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 6
• Main Authors: Zhang, Rongfei, Wang, Xiangyou, Wang, Juan, Cheng, Meng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 21.12.2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Biopolymers; Bonding strength; Browning; Carbon dioxide; Carrageenan; Dosage; Environmental impact; Food; Fourier transforms; Humidity; Hydrogen bonds; Infrared spectroscopy; konjac glucomannan; Light transmittance; Mechanical properties; Moisture absorption; Mushrooms; nano-silica; Nanocomposites; Permeability; preservation; Scanning electron microscopy; Shelf life; Silicon dioxide; Spectrum analysis; Tensile strength; Water vapor; Weight loss; white mushrooms; United States > US; China; Japan; Germany; nano-silica; films; preservation; carrageenan; konjac glucomannan; white mushrooms
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym11010006

In this study, the (KGM)/ (KC)/nano-silica film was prepared and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The preservation quality of white mushrooms ( ) packed using the films was also determined. The nano-silica dosage was found to affect the properties of the nanocomposite KGM/KC films. The results indicated that the properties of the films were significantly improved with the addition of nano-silica. The water vapor permeability, water solubility, moisture absorption, and light transmittance of KGM/KC/nano-silica films were significantly affected by the nano-silica dosage. In this study, the optimal nano-silica dosage to incorporate into the film in order to achieve excellent performance was 0.3%. Strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds were also observed between KGM/KC and nano-silica in the KGM/KC/nano-silica film by FTIR. In addition, the KGM/KC/nano-silica film markedly reduced the browning index, delayed the weight loss and softening, and extended the shelf life of mushrooms during storage at 4 °C. The KGM/KC film modified using nano-silica can provide a potential method for improving the preservation quality of white mushrooms during storage.