In this study, effect of transglutaminase (TGase) addition on physical, water barrier, optical and mechanical properties of mechanically deboned chicken meat protein (MDCM-P) films was investigated. When TGase was added to the films, the thickness increased, but the solubility decreased. Films treated with TGase exhibited higher water vapor permeability than control film (p<0.05). When TGase concentration increased, the L* values of films decreased, but a* and b* values increased. All films showed very good barrier properties against UV light. The highest tensile strength was obtained in MDCM-P films containing 3% TGase (p<0.05). The elongation at break values increased with the TGase concentration increasing from 1 to 3%, but decreased at higher enzyme concentration (p<0.05). The addition of TGase altered molecular organization and intermolecular interaction in the film matrix. TGase treated films showed smoother and ordered surface structure and homogeneous and compact microstructure. The results indicated that TGase use can be an effective approach in improving the solubility and mechanical properties of MDCM-P films.
Keywords: edible film; mechanically deboned chicken meat; transglutaminase.