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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Photo-Induced Cross-Linking of Unmodified Proteins PICUP Applied to Amyloidogenic Peptides
Published on: January 12, 2009
Tuning the mechanical and physicochemical properties of cross-linked protein films
Sultana Parveen1, Susmitnarayan Chaudhury1, Swagata Dasgupta1
1Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India.
Abstract:
Films derived from natural sources such as proteins provide an advantage over synthetic films due to their noncytotoxicity, biodegradability, and vast functionality. A new protein source gained from the cataractous eye protein isolate (CEPI) obtained after surgery has been investigated for this purpose. Glycerol has been employed as the plasticizer and glutaraldehyde (GD) as a cross-linker. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to characterize the films. Nanoindentation and thermogravimetric analyses reveal improved mechanical and thermal properties of the cross-linked films. The films with 20% (w/w) GD exhibited properties such as the highest modulus and low water solubility. It is possible to tune the properties based on the extent of cross-linking. All the films were completely degraded by the enzyme trypsin. The similarity of these films was checked by using the prepared films as a delivery vehicle for a model compound, ampicillin sodium. The encapsulation efficiency was found to be 74%, and in vitro release studies showed significant amounts of drug release at physiological pH. This study will help us understand how the properties of protein films can be tuned to obtain the desired physicochemical properties. These biodegradable protein films could find use in pharmaceutical industries as delivery carriers.
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