Complex coacervation in pea protein isolate-chitosan mixtures

Catherine Elmer, Asli Can Karaca, Nicholas H. Low, Michael T. Nickerson*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

124 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Protein-polysaccharide interactions play an essential structure-controlling role in foods and biomaterials. Turbidity and electrophoretic mobility measurements were used to investigate the formation of soluble and insoluble complexes between pea protein isolate (PPI) and the cationic polysaccharide, chitosan (Ch) as a function of pH and biopolymer mixing ratio (1:1-20:1 PPI-Ch). In addition, pH-induced conformational changes of PPI upon complexation with Ch were studied by fluorometry. As the PPI-Ch mixing ratio increased from 1:1 to 12.5:1, critical structure forming events (i.e., those associated with the formation of soluble and insoluble complexes) shifted to higher pHs, and progressively behaved similar to those for PPI alone. At biopolymer ratios >. 15:1, mixed systems resembled that of PPI alone. Changes to the tertiary conformation of PPI upon complexation with Ch at a 7.5:1 biopolymer ratio were found to occur at pH 6.2, corresponding to the presence of insoluble complexes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1441-1446
Number of pages6
JournalFood Research International
Volume44
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2011
Externally publishedYes

Funding

Financial assistance for this study was provided by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Advanced Foods & Materials Network (AFMNet) .

FundersFunder number
Advanced Foods and Materials Network
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

    Keywords

    • Chitosan
    • Complex coacervation
    • Pea protein isolate
    • Protein-polysaccharide interactions
    • Zeta potential

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