Preparation, characterization and application of levan/montmorillonite biocomposite and levan/BSA nanoparticle

Here, two kinds of polysaccharide-based biocomposites were investigated. The enzymatically synthesized levan from Erwinia amylovora was applied as the matrix, while montmorillonite clay and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were used as additive in the biocomposite. To examine the properties of levan/MMT biocomposite, we choose different ratios between levan and MMT to implement the surface morphology observation, thermal property analysis, and rheological behavior determination. As a result, the levan/MMT biocomposite in a 2:1 blending ratio showed a significant improvement both in the thermal and rheological properties. Meanwhile, the 0.1 % levan/BSA nanoparticle showed the highest encapsulation capacity and surface charge as 53.13 ± 2.64 % and +3.92 ± 0.43 mV. Last but not least, the levan/BSA nanoparticle exhibited a slower and controlled release of the BSA from the system. All of these results indicated a potential application of levan-based biocomposite and nanoparticle.