The influence of hydrophobic substances on water vapor permeability of fish gelatin films modified with transglutaminase or 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC)

The effect of different hydrophobic substances on water vapor permeability (WVP) of unmodified fish gelatin films and cross-linked with transglutaminase (TGase) or with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) was determined. Both unmodified and cross-linked films were characterized by very poor water barrier properties. Amaranth oil, rapeseed oil, lanolin, beeswax and ozococerite at concentration of 10% decreased WVP of unmodified gelatin films by 42, 15, 37, 53 and 36%, respectively. Increasing concentration of these substances up to 60% caused further improving of the water barrier properties. Addition of lecithin into film-forming emulsions prevented separation of lipid layer on the film surface. Among unmodified films with lecithin and 60% of lipids the highest decrease of WVP was found in case of amaranth oil and beeswax, by 73 and 87%, respectively, in comparison to only-gelatin films. WVP of chemically modified films in the presence of 60% of beeswax with addition of lecithin was decreased by about 65%. Enzymatically modified films with beeswax were very brittle and broke during analyzes, similarly as those with amaranth oil and lecithin. WVP of enzymatically modified films with lecithin and 60% of rapeseed oil and lanolin was respectively, about 60 and 47% lower than that of films without hydrophobic substances.