Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation enables the characterization of molecular and supramolecular properties of cereal beta-glucan dispersions

• In this paper we study the properties of molecular and supra molecular species in cereal beta-glucan solutions/dispersions by the utilization of asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled to multi-angle light scattering and refractive index (AsFlFFF-MALS-RI) detectors. The samples were purified barley and oat beta-glucans which were dissolved in aqueous solution using either mild conditions or more harsh treatments with alkali. Dissolution in 0.5 M NaOH was not sufficient to eliminate aggregated structures in barley beta-glucan. The results in this paper show how distinction can possibly be made between molecular and supra molecular species using scaling approaches and conformational parameters obtained from AsFlFFF-MALS-RI over the entire size distribution. Small species in the barley beta-glucan samples display properties ranging from elongated conformation to random coil conformation. Aggregates have low apparent densities and a swollen micro gel structure. Oat beta-glucan displays no properties that can be attributed to a molecularly dissolved beta-glucan showing that dissolution was incomplete. The aggregate properties analyzed were similar between oat and barley beta-glucan.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Annan teknik -- Livsmedelsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Other Engineering and Technologies -- Food Engineering (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Beta-glucan Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation AF4 Oat Barley

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)