Levan and Levan/Pullulan Blend Films: AFM and FTIR Spectroscopy Characterization

Abstract

The numerous naturally occurring biopolymeric materials are used as edible films and coatings (lipids, proteins, and polysaccharides). Microbial levan and pullulan have been already considered as biopolymers in food industry. The aim of this work was to obtain the levan and levan/pullulan blend films and compare them using the Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Two different films compositions were prepared by casting method: levan and levan/pullulan in the proportions 1:1. AFM measurements showed that levan film had a smoother surface and, consequently, a lower degree of roughness comparing to the levan/pullulan blend films. FTIR spectra showed peaks, which corresponded to all components of the obtained films.