Mechanical and Physical Properties of Biodegradable Wheat Bran, Maize Bran, and Dried Distillers Grain Arabinoxylan Films

Abstract

Arabinoxylans are non-starch polysaccharides in the cell walls of cereal crops including maize (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Arabinoxylans are produced when maize bran, dried distillers grain, and wheat bran are processed. The objective of this research was to extract arabinoxylan from cereal processing byproducts for use in biodegradable films. The arabinoxylan was extracted with dilute sodium hydroxide and purified using α-amylase and protease. In addition to arabinoxylan, these films were made with either glycerol or sorbitol as a plasticizer at levels of 100, 250 or 500 g kg-1. These films had tensile strengths as high as 29.3 MPa and puncture resistances as high as 10.1 N. The water solubility of these films ranged from 305 to 956 g kg-1, and the water vapor permeability ranged from 44.8 to 90.9 g h-1 m-2. The characteristics of these films show promise for biodegradable food packaging materials.