Effect of different concentrations of olive oil and oleic acid on the mechanical properties of albumen (egg white) edible films

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of olive oil and oleic acid addition to albumin (egg white) through emulsification to produce films on mechanical properties. Plasticizer was necessary to maintain film and coating integrity and to avoid pores cracks. Edible composite films were prepared from albumin and lipid material at (1 and 1.5%), respectively. The effect of unsaturated oleic acid with glycerol and monounsaturated olive oil on tensile strength, elongation at break, water vapor permeability (WVP), opacity (OP), solubility, colour and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was investigated. In general, the incorporation of lipid materials resulted in the increase (P < 0.05) of tensile strength and elongation at break, and the reduction of WVP with some exceptions. Overall, the effect of monounsaturated was greater than that of unsaturated. The surface microstructure of the films was analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Key words: Albumin protein, edible film, olive oil, oleic acid, mechanical properties.