Effect of pH on colloidal properties of native ovalbumin aqueous systems

The effect of pH on the molecular shape and dispersed state of native ovalbumin molecules in 20 mM phosphate and acetic acid buffer solutions has been studied using small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and a rheological method The degree of association of the OA molecule at the 0.5% colloid system increases slightly with decreasing pH, i.e., 2.10 at pH 7.0, and 2.88 at pH 4.0, and the radius of the OA molecule decreases slightly with decreasing pH, i.e., 24.5 Å at pH 7.0, and 22.0 Å at pH 4.0.The OA colloid shows apparent yield stress and rigidity which are due to a certain ordered arrangement of the molecules. The yield stress and the rigidity increase abruptly at a pH value near to an isoelectric point (ca. pH 4.4). In the dilute system this increment is attributed to the change in the ordered arrangement or in the interparticle interaction, and not to the change in the association state of the OA molecules. The values of the yield stress and the rigidity remain almost constant over a wide concentration range and this feature (an auto-controlled mechanism) is kept over a certain range of pH.