Crosslinked electrospun polyvinyl alcohol‐based containing immobilized α‐amilase for food application

The objective of this study was to immobilize α‐amylase in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) electrospun fibers with subsequent chemical crosslinking using vapor phase glutaraldehyde. The PVA/α‐amylase electrospun fibers were subjected to different crosslinking exposure time treatments and evaluated through the functional groups (FT‐IR), thermal properties (TGA), and morphology. The crosslinking effect on the enzymatic activity of the immobilized α‐amylase was evaluated, and the PVA/α‐amylase fibers' storage stability was determined at different storage times over 14 days. The interactions between α‐amylase and PVA were confirmed by the FT‐IR. The crosslinking was verified through the morphology that presented fused fibers. The enzymatic activity of the immobilized α‐amylase showed values up to 50%, decreasing with the increase in the crosslinking time. The immobilized α‐amylase maintained its activity gradually by decreasing according to the increase in the storage time. The PVA/α‐amylase electrospun fibers presented the high potential to be applied in food products. Practical applications The material developed in this study can be applied in the processing of foods that use high temperatures since it presented a high temperature of thermal degradation, which are superior to those used in most processing. More specifically, the support containing the α‐amylase enzyme may be used in fermentation processes.