Swelling behavior of pectin/chitosan complex films

The swelling behavior of the complex film formed from pectin and chitosan was studied. The swelling degree increased sharply in the case of pH less than 2 and larger than 7. The swelling mechanisms of the complex film in acidic and alkaline medium are discussed, respectively. Moreover, the swelling degree could be modulated by means of the weight ratio of pectin to chitosan and the original weight concentration of pectin aqueous solution. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.