| Abstract: | Microscopic differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (DSC-FTIR) were combined to investigate the thermal response and IR spectra of lipid and protein in the process of a phase transition in porcine stratum corneum (SC) by KBr disc method. The alterations of bands associated with the CH2 stretching vibrations near 2850 and 2920 cnv?1 were used to determine the phase transformation of lipid with temperature. The peaks of amide I and II of protein were used to investigate the thermal conversion of protein. A reheating process was performed. The results indicate that the bands of lipid near 2900 cm?1 shifted to greater wavenumber with increased temperature, but reversibly. The band due to deformation mode of the lipid altered from shoulder to smooth with increased temperature. During heating, α-keratin of the protein transformed gradually to p-keratin, but irreversibly. Thermal transitions that occurred near 78 °C and 115 °C for the sample on first heating were associated with phase transition of the lipid-protein complex and the protein in porcine SC, respectively. After reheating, this phase transitional temperature of the lipid-protein complex in porcine SC decreased from 78 to 68 °C, and the transition of protein near 115 °C almost disappeared. This behaviour indicates that porcine SC after heating might alter its structure. The thermally altered proportion of lipid was 43.98% and the thermally induced proportion of protein was 41.48% during the first heating process, but the restoration of lipid during the cycle of heating, cooling and reheating was 37.64%. The variation is attributed to the denaturation of protein to alter the structure of lipid-protein complex after first heating. This technique was simple, precise and reproducible for simple determination of stratum corneum or biological samples in a brief period. |
