Characterization of glycosylated gelatin/pullulan nanofibers fabricated by multi-fluid mixing solution blow spinning

In this work, multi-fluid mixing solution blow spinning was applied to develop gelatin/pullulan composite nanofibers, and then the nanofibers were glycated to enhance the physical properties. The results show that the grafting degree of the nanofibers increased significantly from 17.5 % to 36.0 % as the glycation time increased, and the morphology results indicated that 72 h of glycation did not destroy the structure of the nanofibers. FTIR results show that the glycation consumed the the–NH 2 groups, cleaved sugar units of polysaccharide, and affected the secondary structure of the protein. The glycation enhanced the thermal stability and improved the rigidity of the nanofibers. Besides, after 120 h of glycation, the water contact angle of nanofibers increased from 0° to 79.1°, and the water vapor transmission rates decreased from 12.49 to 8.97 g mm/m 2  h kPa, indicating the enhanced hydrophobicity and barrier properties. In addition, the glycation improved the water stability of the nanofibers, which increased the applicability of the gelatin/pullulan nanofibers in food packaging. The present work provides a green and efficient method for improving the physical properties of gelatin/pullulan nanofibers.