Affiliations: [a] Chemical Research Laboratory, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Shizuoka University, Ohya, Shizuoka, Japan | [b] Laboratory of Food Rheology, National Food Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Yatabe-machi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Note: [] Accepted by: Editor E. Fukada
Abstract: Complex Young’s modulus of blend gels of gelatin and kappa-carrageenan or agarose has been measured in order to clarify the protein-polysaccharide interaction in biological systems. The mixture of gelatin and kappa-carrageenan showed phase separation in the intermediate volume fraction of gelatin, and it formed a homogeneous gel when the volume fraction of gelatin is very large or very small. Since the dynamic Young’s modulus for blend gels of kappa-carrageenan and gelatin was larger than the calculated one from a theory for dispersed systems, some structural reinforcing must occur. The mixture of agarose and gelatin showed the inverse tendency. It was concluded that the role of electrolytic groups was dominant in dilute gels, while molecular entanglement became more important in concentrated gels.
