Abstract
Corn fiber gum (CFG) -soy protein isolate (SPI) double-network (DN) hydrogels were fabricated using laccase and a heat treatment process, in which CFG solution formed the first gel network via laccase oxidation, while SPI formed the second network through heating, as described in our previous research. The aim of this study was to investigate the influences of CFG/SPI constituents (CFG concentration 0–3%, w/v; SPI concentration 8–10%, w/v) and pH values (5.0–7.5) on the textural properties, microstructures and water-holding capacities (WHC) of the CFG-SPI DN hydrogels. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) results showed an apparent phase separation when the CFG concentration was above 1% (w/v). The textural characteristics and WHC of most DN hydrogels were enhanced with increasing concentrations of CFG and SPI. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) observations revealed that the microstructures of DN hydrogels were converted from coarse and irregular to smooth and ordered as pH values increased from 5.0 to 7.5. Excellent textural properties and WHC were observed at pH 7.0. This study developed various CFG-SPI DN hydrogels with diverse textures and structures, governed by the concentrations of protein/polysaccharide and pH values, and also contributes to the understanding of gum–protein interactions in DN hydrogels obtained under different conditions.
Highlights
Hydrogels are three-dimensional network structures comprising one or more polymers with covalent or noncovalent interactions between chains that are capable of retaining significant quantities of water or biological fluids without dissolving [1,2]
Soy protein isolate (SPI) was evenly distributed in the system forming a single-network gel without Corn fiber gum (CFG)
When a small amount of CFG (0.25%, 0.50%, 1.00%) was added, a few black areas appeared among most of the green regions, which indicated that the SPI phase was the continuous phase in the mixed system, and that SPI hydrogel played a dominant role in the DN hydrogel system
Summary
Hydrogels are three-dimensional network structures comprising one or more polymers with covalent or noncovalent interactions between chains that are capable of retaining significant quantities of water or biological fluids without dissolving [1,2]. Many researchers have used combinations of a polysaccharide and a protein to fabricate mixed hydrogels to improve the mechanical properties and stability of individual biopolymer hydrogels [3,6,7]. In most current protein-polysaccharide mixed hydrogel systems, polysaccharides are mainly used as intermolecular fillers, which improve the characteristics of mixed gels through thickening, cosolubilization, ion complexation, and phase separation [8,9,10]. These types of mixed hydrogels are characterized by weak interactions and still belong to single-network hydrogels [4]. Guo et al [5] developed an edible gellan gum-SPI
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