Properties of Pea Protein Isolate-pullulan Blended Solutions and the Morphology of Electrospun Nanofibers

To provide technical basis for the preparation of electrospun nanofibers of natural polymer-based(protein,polysaccharide),the electrospun nanofibers were prepared with different concentrations(10.0%~25.0%,w/v)of blended solutions of pea protein isolates and pullulan with the blend ratio of 1:1.The effect of the concentrations of blended solutions on the solution properties,such as pH value,surface tension,electrical conductivity and apparent viscosity,as well as morphology of the resulting electrospun nanofibers structures were investigated. The results showed that the pH value of blended solutions with different concentrations were basically maintained within the neutral range,and the surface tension fluctuated within the range of 37~47 mN/m. The increasing concentration of blended solutions resulted in significant decreased electrical conductivity and increased apparent viscosity(P<0.05). Meanwhile,when the concentration of blended solution was higher than 20.0%,electrospun nanofibers begin to form. And the electrospun nanofibers prepared with 22.5% and 25.0% blended solution possess better morphology and more uniform nanofibers.