The Influence of Lyophilization Pretreatment and Whey Content on Whey and Gelatin-Based Hydrogels

Whey and gelatin, natural polymers within the protein category, find widespread use in hydrogel formulations applied across the food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. This study presents new characteristics of hydrogels based on whey, gelatin, and copper sulfate as a consequence of the additi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gels 2024-04, Vol.10 (4), p.229
Main Authors: Lopes, Pompilia Mioara, Fechete, Radu, Minteuan, Felicia, Mare, Liviu, Moldovan, Dumitrița, Moldovan, Marioara, Cuc, Stanca, Saroși, Codruța Liana, Popescu, Violeta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chains (polymeric)
Colloiding
Copper
Copper sulfate
Crosslinked polymers
Crosslinking
Food preservation
Freezing
Gelatin
hydrogel
Hydrogels
Infrared spectra
Infrared spectroscopy
lyophilization
Mechanical properties
Mechanical tests
Methods
Morphology
Natural polymers
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Proteins
Refrigeration
Scanning electron microscopy
Spectrum analysis
Sulfates
Whey
whey and gelatin
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Summary:Whey and gelatin, natural polymers within the protein category, find widespread use in hydrogel formulations applied across the food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. This study presents new characteristics of hydrogels based on whey, gelatin, and copper sulfate as a consequence of the additional steps in the preparation method, specifically refrigeration and freezing storage followed by lyophilization. The water state in hydrogels prior to lyophilization impacts the morphological appearance, with refrigerated hydrogels exhibiting a more regular and dense pore distribution, as shown by the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images. This observation aligns with the higher mobility of polymer chains indicated by distributions in H nuclear magnetic resonance (RMN) relaxometry measurements. Changes in the intensity and amide-specific wavenumbers of the FTIR spectra of whey and gelatin proteins are evident in the Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) spectra of crosslinked and frozen hydrogels before lyophilization. Moreover, the reinforcing effect in the hydrogel matrix, noted in mechanical tests, is attributed to increased polymer chain content and copper sulfate crosslinking.
ISSN:2310-2861
2310-2861
DOI:10.3390/gels10040229