Viscosity and voluminosity of caseins chemically modified by reductive alkylation with reducing sugars

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Abstract
Summary: The effect of the covalent binding of reducing sugars such as galactose, glucose, fructose, lactose and maltose on the flow properties of casein solutions and on the voluminosity of casein molecules was investigated, voluminosity being calculated from viscosity measurements. Rheological parameters appeared to be efficient indices of structural changes occurring in proteins as a result of chemical modifications. Results showed an increase in voluminosity of casein after the binding of sugars, possibly explained by an increase in the net negative charge or by an increase in the steric hindrance of the molecule. At high concentrations (above 0·03 g/ml), viscosity of the solutions depended on the nature of the attached sugar and on the level of the modification. Thus galactose- and glucose-modified caseins were more viscous than the control. With disaccharides, the level of modification appeared to be more important than the amount of sugar bound.