The role of the non-gelling polysaccharide, propyleneglycol alginate (PGA), on the dynamics of gelation and gel properties of β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) under conditions where the protein alone does not gel (6%) was analyzed. To this end, the kinetics of gelation, aggregation and denaturation of β-lg in the mixed systems (pH 7) were studied at different temperatures (64–88 °C). The presence of PGA increased thermal stability of β-lg. The rate of β-lg denaturation was decreased and the onset and peak denaturation temperatures increased by 2.2–2.4 °C. PGA promoted the formation of larger aggregates that continued to grow in time. An average aggregate diameter of approximately 300 nm is reached at the gel point in the mixed β-lg+PGA systems, irrespective of the heating temperature. Comparing the activation energies for the aggregation (193 kJ/mol), denaturation (422 kJ/mol) and formation of the primary gel structure (1/tgel) (256 kJ/mol) processes in the mixed protein–polysaccharide system, it can be concluded that the rate determining step in the formation of the primary gel structure would be the aggregation of protein. Ea values for the processes after the gel point (solid phase gelation) suggest a diffusion limited process because of the high viscosity of the solid gelling matrix. The characteristics of the mixed β-lg+PGA gels in terms of rheological and textural parameters, water loss and microstructure were studied as a function of heating temperature and time. The extent of aggregation and the type of interactions involved, prior to denaturation seem to be very important in determining the gel structure and its properties. 相似文献
The calculation of phase diagrams for blends of linear and branched polymers made up of identical monomeric units is modeled using an approach that subdivides the mixing process into two steps: i) contact formation between the different components, keeping their chain conformations and the volume of the system constant; and, ii) relaxation of the macromolecules into their equilibrium state by molecular rearrangements. It is assumed that step (ii) causes shape‐induced polymer incompatibility and that the degree of branching can be quantified in terms of the volumes the isolated coils of the branched polymer occupy in relation to the volume the linear product with the same molecular weight occupies. Under these premises, it is possible to work out how the critical conditions depend on the molar masses of the components and on the degree of branching of the non‐linear polymer by means of only one system‐specific parameter, measuring the effects of conformational relaxation. Detailed phase diagrams show how the binodal and spinodal conditions reflect the conformational variability of the blend components.
