Advancing sustainable packaging through self-assembly induced amyloid fibrillization of soy and pea protein nanofilms

This study explored protein fibrillization and characterization, demonstrating significant enhancements in the structural, mechanical, and functional properties of soy and pea protein fibrils for biodegradable food packaging. The fibrillizationprocess increased /3-sheet alignment by 1.3-fold for soy protein fibrils (SPF) and 1.2-fold for pea protein fibrils (PPF). ThT fluorescence assays revealed higher /3-sheet alignment in SPF compared to PPF. Structural analysis showed flexible, worm-like fibrils in SPF and PPF. Mechanical tests indicated significant improvements: tensile strength increased to 4.88 MPa for SPF and 3.83 MPa for PPF films, with elongation at break reaching 221 % for SPF and 101.62 % for PPF films. Amyloid fibrillation reduced water solubility and water vapor permeability while increasing the swelling degree of protein films. Optical analysis revealed decreased lightness, intensified green and yellow hues, and increased transparency. These findings highlight the potential of amyloid fibrillation to enhance protein films for sustainable packaging applications.