Melting behaviour of schizophyllan extracellular polysaccharide gels in the temperature range between 5 and 20°C

Gels of the glucan schizophyllan, consisting of a 1,3-beta -D-linked backbone of glucose residues with 1,6-beta -D-glucosyl side groups, were found to show melting behaviour in the temperature range between 5 and 20 degreesC, depending on the glucose concentration in the solvent (0-50 wt% glucose). While the qualitative features of the modulus-versus-concentration and modulus-versus-temperature theological data for the gels can be modelled using modified cascade theory (which implicitly assumes that no sub-level of organisation exists in the gel structure), a consistent quantitative fit cannot be achieved. The inconsistencies found are consistent with the idea that the gel is composed of bundles (consisting of many triple helices of schizophyllan) with strong intra-bundle attraction and weak inter-bundle forces. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) micrographs of diluted samples indicate that schizophyllan polymers engage in lateral aggregation of triple helical strands at temperatures below the melting temperature, suggesting that indeed bundles of polymers will be present in the gel state. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.