Beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) and bovine
serum albumin (BSA) coacervate
formation with sodium alginate (ALG) was investigated by turbidimetric
analysis, zeta potential, particle size, viscosity, transmission electron
microscopy (TEM) and isothermal titration calorimetric (ITC) measurements
as a function of pH (1.0–7.0) and protein/alginate mixing ratio
(1:1, 1.5:1, 2:1, 1:0, and 0:1 wt.). Critical pH values of phase transitions
for BSA–ALG complexes (pHC, pHφ1, and pHφφ2) representing the formation of
soluble and insoluble complexes of a protein–ALG mixture (2:1)
at pH 4.8, 4.2, and 1.8, respectively. In the case of BLG–ALG,
critical pH values (pHC, pHφ1, and pHφ2) were found to be 4.8, 4.2, and 1.6, respectively.
The pHopt values, expressed by the highest optical density,
were pH 2.8 for BSA–ALG and 2.4 for BLG–ALG. TEM and
zeta-potential results showed that maximum coacervate formation occurred
at pH 4.2 for both protein–polysaccharide solutions. The interaction
between BLG–ALG and BSA–ALG was spontaneously exothermic
at pH 4.2 according to ITC measurements. The findings of this study
provide insights to a thorough understanding about the nature of interactions
between milk proteins and ALG and formulate new applications for food,
pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetics applications.