Effect of Frozen Storage on Molecular Weight, Size Distribution and Conformation of Gluten by SAXS and SEC-MALLS.docVIP

Molecules 2012, 17, 7169-7182; doi:10.3390/moleculeOPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 /journal/molecules Article Effect of Frozen Storage on Molecular Weight, Size Distribution and Conformation of Gluten by SAXS and SEC-MALLS Lei Zhao 1, Lin Li 1,2, Guo-Qin Liu 1, Xing-Xun Liu 1 and Bing Li 1,2,* 1 College of Light Industry and Food Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China 2 Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510640, China * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: bli@; Tel./Fax: +86-20-8711-3252. Received: 23 April 2012; in revised form: 31 May 2012 / Accepted: 31 May 2012 / Published: 12 June 2012 Abstract: In this study, the effects of frozen (?18 °C) storage time on molecular weight, size distribution, conformation, free amino groups and free sulfhydryl groups of gluten were studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) in conjunction with a size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and spectrophotometrically. The results showed that the gluten dissolved in 50 mM acetic acid appeared to be similar to quasi-spherical of the chain conformation and the slope of the conformation plot decreased during the storage. Both the molecular weight and radius of gyration of the frozen gluten decreased with the storage time showing a depolymerization in the high molecular weight fraction of gluten (105 Da ~ 109 Da). Therefore, at constant molecular weight the change of the chain conformation did not show a clear correlation with the storage time. The free amino groups content changed little and the free sulfhydryl groups content of the gluten increased from 9.8 μmol/g for the control to 12.87 μmol/g for 120-day-stored gluten, indicating that the water redistribution and ice recrystallization lead to the breakage of