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Acid-induced gelation of whey protein aggregates: Kinetics, gel structure and rheological properties
Abstract
Acid-induced gelation of fractal aggregates with different sizes formed by preheating whey protein isolate solutions has been investigated in the protein concentration range 10–60 g/L as a function of the net protein charge density (α). Homogeneous gels could be formed in a range of α that depended on the heating time and temperature. Decrease of the negative charge density of the proteins increased the rate of gelation, but lowering α to less negative values than approximately −2.5 by adding HCl increased turbidity of the solutions and led to syneresis. Strong syneresis also occurred at more negative net charge densities (higher pH) if the heat treatment was too severe. The elastic modulus of homogeneous gels increased with increasing protein concentration. The heterogeneity of the gels decreased with increasing protein concentration. The temperature dependence of the gelation rate was characterized by an activation energy of 155 kJ/mol independent of the charge density, protein concentration and aggregate size. Increase of the temperature increased the gelation rate, but did not influence the elastic modulus of the gels. The present findings on acid-induced gelation are compared with gelation of the same WPI aggregates induced by adding CaCl₂ reported elsewhere.
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“Acids or alkalis crosslinking agents can trigger protein gelation via pH‐mediated modulation of protein structure and intermolecular interactions, such as GDL, HCl, and sodium hydroxide (Qin et al. 2023; Kharlamova et al. 2018; Lian et al. 2024).”
From Designing Protein Gels for Nutrient Delivery: From Formulation to Digestion (2026) · cites this paper as Kharlamova et al. 2018
In the citing paper
“During the gelation process, the addition of acid shifts the protein solution toward the isoelectric point, decreasing net charge density and promoting the aggregation of protein molecules into gel‐like structure (Kharlamova et al. 2018)”
From Designing Protein Gels for Nutrient Delivery: From Formulation to Digestion (2026) · cites this paper as Kharlamova et al. 2018
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Metadata
- Authors
- Kharlamova, A., Chassenieux, C., & Nicolai, T.
- Affiliations
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Venue
- Food Hydrocolloids
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-08
- Volume
- 81
- Pages
- 263-272
- ISSN
- 0268-005X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2779487865
- Cited by
- 83
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 8
- FWCI
- 11.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Food Hydrocolloids (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- HAL Portal Artxiker (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (India)) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Bba association
- Le Mans University
- Regional councils of Brittany
- Pays de la Loire
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Proteins in Food Systems
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein purification and stability
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Polysaccharides Composition and Applications
- Keywords
- whey protein isolate, acid-induced gelation, gelation kinetics, activation energy, syneresis, gel structure, elastic modulus, heat treatment (food and biological processing), calcium-induced gelation
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