Turbidity and hardness of a heat-induced gel of hen egg ovalbumin.

Abstract

The turbidity and hardness of a heat-induced gel prepared from ovalbumin were examined at various pHs and ionic strengths. Depending on the conditions of the medium, a transparent solution, transparent gel, turbid gel, or turbid suspension was obtained by heating. The hardness was a maximum with the conditions that gave a transparent or slightly turbid gel. The gel and coagulums were solubilized by 1% SDS, but not by 6M urea or 50 mM mercaptoethanol. The solution obtained by SDS treatment contained polymers shorter than octamers.