Influence of Levan on the Thermally Induced Gel Formation of β-Lactoglobulin

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Christoph S. Hundschell - , Technical University of Berlin (Author)
  • Juliane Brühan - , Technical University of Berlin (Author)
  • Theresa Anzmann - , University of Hohenheim (Author)
  • Reinhard Kohlus - , University of Hohenheim (Author)
  • Anja M. Wagemans - , Technical University of Berlin (Author)

Abstract

In this study, the influence of levan on the phase behavior and the thermally induced gelation of the mixed β-lactoglobulin—levan gels as a function of polymer content, molecular weight and ionic strength was characterized. For this purpose, rheology was used to study the mechanical properties of the gels and the water binding of the network structure was investigated by time domain nuclear magnetic resonance. Phase behavior and network type were analyzed by optical observation and electron microscopy. Levan enhanced the aggregation and gel formation of β-lg due to segregative forces between the polymer species. Segregation was caused by the excluded volume effect and was more pronounced at lower ionic strength, higher levan contents and higher levan molecular weights. The presence of levan increased the water binding of the gel networks. However, this effect decreased with increasing levan content. At high ionic strength and high levan content, phase separated gels were formed. While segregative forces enhanced network formation, and therefore, increased the gel strength of mixed gels at low ionic strength, levan had also antagonistic effects on the network formation at high ionic strength and high polymer contents.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number228
JournalGels
Volume8
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0003-3146-2454/work/170587788
ORCID /0000-0003-4468-921X/work/172086462

Keywords

Keywords

  • gel, levan, phase separation, rheology, β-lactoglobulin