Improvement of Collagen Hydrogel Scaffolds Properties by the Addition of Konjac Glucomannan

Effect of Degree of Konjac Glucomannan Enzymatic Hydrolysis on the Physicochemical Characteristic of Gluten and Dough

Influences of different enzymatic hydrolysis degrees of konjac glucomannan (KGM) with various addition proportions on the structural characteristic of gluten protein and dough properties were evaluated. Results revealed that addition of KGM decreases the free sulfhydryl and freezable water content of dough, and KGM with different enzymatic hydrolysis degrees had more beneficial effects on strengthening the gluten structure by the raised molecular weight of gluten proteins and the increased disulfide bonds and β-sheet content, especially KGM with 15 min enzymatic hydrolysis treatment (KGM II). Besides, microstructure observation and thermal analysis results illustrated that addition of KGM promotes gluten cross-linking and improves the thermal stability of the gluten network structure. Dough possessed better elasticity, as well as tensile and texture properties with the addition of KGM than the control sample. And the KGM with 15 min enzymatic hydrolysis showed the most positive effect on dough quality than others, and 2.0% addition proportion is the most acceptable.

Microfluidic spinning of poly (methyl methacrylate)/konjac glucomannan active food packaging films based on hydrophilic/hydrophobic strategy

Here, inspired by the hydrophilic/hydrophobic theory, a novel konjac glucomannan/poly (methyl methacrylate)/chlorogenic acid (KGM/PMMA/CGA) food packaging film was successfully fabricated via microfluidic spinning technology (MST). The results of fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of hydrogen bonds in the films, which lead to the enhanced mechanical properties. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry showed excellent thermal stability of the films. Water vapor permeability (1.47 × 10^-5 ± 0.11 g/(m⋅h⋅kPa)) and water contact angle (89.2°) measurement proved that the films were hydrophobic. The good swelling degree (85.18 ± 15.65%) indicated film's potentials in releasing CGA. More importantly, KGM played a key role in the antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (8.5 ± 3.5 mm) and Escherichia coli (6.5 ± 2.1 mm) by utilizing its hydrophilicity. Thus, our present work may provide a new idea for constructing active food packaging films with significant performances based on hydrophilic/hydrophobic strategy.

A Review on Konjac Glucomannan Gels: Microstructure and Application

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) has attracted extensive attention because of its biodegradable, non-toxic, harmless, and biocompatible features. Its gelation performance is one of its most significant characteristics and enables wide applications of KGM gels in food, chemical, pharmaceutical, materials, and other fields. Herein, different preparation methods of KGM gels and their microstructures were reviewed. In addition, KGM applications have been theoretically modeled for future uses.