Influence of Levan on the Thermally Induced Gel Formation of ß-Lactoglobulin.

In this study, the influence of levan on the phase behavior and the thermally induced gelation of the mixed ß-lactoglobulin-levan gels as a function of polymer content, molecular weight and ionic strength was characterized. For this purpose, rheology was used to study the mechanical properties of the gels and the water binding of the network structure was investigated by time domain nuclear magnetic resonance. Phase behavior and network type were analyzed by optical observation and electron microscopy. Levan enhanced the aggregation and gel formation of ß-lg due to segregative forces between the polymer species. Segregation was caused by the excluded volume effect and was more pronounced at lower ionic strength, higher levan contents and higher levan molecular weights. The presence of levan increased the water binding of the gel networks. However, this effect decreased with increasing levan content. At high ionic strength and high levan content, phase separated gels were formed. While segregative forces enhanced network formation, and therefore, increased the gel strength of mixed gels at low ionic strength, levan had also antagonistic effects on the network formation at high ionic strength and high polymer contents.

Advanced characterisation of encapsulated lipid powders regarding microstructure by time domain-nuclear magnetic resonance.

Encapsulation is an established technique to protect sensitive materials from environmental stress. In order to understand the physical protection mechanism against oxidation, knowledge about the powder microstructure is required. Time domain-nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) has the potential to determine the surface oil (SO) and droplet size distribution by relaxation and restricted self-diffusion, respectively. The amount of SO, the retention and encapsulation efficiency are determined based on a lipid balance. The oil load of the initial powder and after SO removal is measured by TD-NMR. The results correlate with gravimetric and photometric references. The oil droplet size obtained by TD-NMR correlates well with static light scattering. The diameter of droplets in emulsions and dried powder both measured by TD-NMR, correlates (r = 0.998), implying that oil droplets embedded in a solid matrix can be measured. Summarising, TD-NMR allows analysis of the microstructure of encapsulated lipid powders, in a rapid, simple and non-destructive way.

Quantification of lactose using ion-pair RP-HPLC during enzymatic lactose hydrolysis of skim milk.

The correct labelling of dairy foods as "lactose-free" requires a suitably sensitive and valid analytical method for the quantification of lactose in complex food matrices. Thus, an ion-pair RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of lactose, glucose and galactose in original skim milk was investigated. The samples derived from an enzymatic lactose hydrolysis approach (0.5L) using the commercial ß-galactosidase Godo-YNL2. After derivatisation with p-aminobenzoic acid and sodium cyanoborohydride, the samples were injected on a RP-C(18) column. Tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulphate was used as the ion-pair reagent in the eluent system. The sugars were quantified using photometric- (UV; 303 nm) and fluorescence-detection (λ(ex) 313 nm, λ(em) 358 nm). The overall run time was 27 min. The limits of detection (LOD) were estimated at 2 mgL(-1) (UV detection) and at 0.13 mgL(-1) (fluorescence detection). The limits of quantification were 6 mgL(-1) (UV detection) and 0.45 mgL(-1) (fluorescence detection). Thus, this analytical method is suitable for sensitive lactose quantification in milk systems of less than 10 mgL(-1).