Uruakpa F O, Arntfield S D
Department of Food Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man., Canada R3T 2N2.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2006 Mar 30;38(2):115-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2006.01.016. Epub 2006 Mar 20.
Biopolymer mixtures contribute to network formation in food systems. The effects of pH and urea on the structural ordering of canola protein isolate-kappa-carrageenan (CPI-kappa-CAR) gels were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At pH 6, loosely-crosslinked CPI networks with large empty pores were produced whereas tightly-crosslinked structures were displayed at pH 10. The structure of CPI network was greatly improved when CPI and kappa-CAR were mixed, indicating a synergistic behaviour between the two macromolecules. Urea affected the structural arrangement and interactions involved in the formation CPI-kappa-CAR gels. Urea-treated gels showed excessive network disruption and breakdown. The microstructural results support the involvement of disulfide bonds and noncovalent interactions in the structural arrangement of CPI-kappa-CAR networks.
