Chitosan/pre-gelatinized waxy corn starch composite edible orally disintegrating film for taurine delivery

In this study, chitosan/per-gelatinized waxy corn starch composite edible orally disintegrating films (ODFs) incorporated with taurine were prepared and the morphology, release behavior and storage stability of the ODFs were investigated. The XRD, ATR-FTIR and microscopic investigation results revealed that taurine could be uniformly dispersed in the film matrix. The optimal level of taurine addition was 1.0% (w/w). The incorporation of taurine improved the apparent morphology, mechanical properties and water holding capacity while slightly increased the film thickness, disintegration time and contact angle of the composite films. In addition, taurine exhibited a rapid release behavior in the films. The fitted results of the Ritger-Peppas model indicated that the release mechanism of taurine in the composite films was mainly Fickian diffusion with minor skeleton erosion. As a delivery carrier, the composite film had a positive effect on the preservation of taurine, increasing the retention of taurine by 8.34% +/- 1.48% during storage. The study confirmed the feasibility for the development of taurine ODF carriers and provided a basis for the development of functional packaging materials.