Beta-Lactoglobulin fibril dispersions: Structural and rheological characteristics

Abstract

Protein nanofibrils are long semiflexible structures with dimensions of a few nanometers wide and up to several micrometers long. Several food proteins can form nanofibrils under denaturing conditions, among them the bovine whey protein β-lactoglobulin, which assembles into nanofibrils when heated at low pH and low ionic strength. Whey protein nanofibrils form entanglement networks that produced increased viscosity at low protein concentration, a functionality that is desirable for food applications. Here, we describe how the structural characteristics of fibrils and the rheological properties of fibril dispersions can be tuned using sodium chloride and calcium chloride.