Investigation on the phase behaviour of gelatin/agarose mixture in an environment of reduced solvent quality

Investigation on the phase behaviour of a biopolymer mixture has been performed using 7.5% (w/w) gelatin and 1.5% (w/w) agarose in the presence of variable amounts of polydextrose as the co-solute from low to high levels of total solids. Mechanical observation of the system was performed using small deformation dynamic oscillation in shear along with thermal studies using modulated differential scanning calorimetry. Micrographs provided images of the changing morphology of the network with the addition of co-solute. Agarose and gelatin form non-interactive bicontinuous phases in the aqueous environment. Systematic increase in the concentration of polydextrose prevents the formation of a stable agarose network, with the polysaccharide chains dispersing in the high solids environment. Gelatin, on the other hand, retains its conformational stability even at a saturating co-solute environment through enhanced protein structuring. Vitrification studies on the high solids system at subzero temperatures provides information on the structural and molecular relaxation identified as a glass transition phenomenon. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyse potential direct interaction between polymers and co-solute. The extent of amorphicity in the system was confirmed using wide angle X-ray diffraction. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.