Viscosity of globular protein suspensions related to colloidal interactions

CLAUDIO L. A. BERLI, JULIO A. DEIBER

Research Advances in Agricultural and Food Chemistry

Global Research Network

Lugar: Kerala, India.; Año: 2000; p. 81 - 92

The prediction of protein suspension viscosity in relation to colloidal interactions is analyzed. The main colloidal phenomena occurring in aqueous suspensions of globular proteins are considered, included heat-induced transitions such as denbaturation and aggregation. The fucntion of hydration forces on the stabilituy of the suspensions is analyzed. it si shown that, in addition to DLVO forces, the repulsive hydration force must be coinsidered in the calculation of the protein-protein interaction energy to attain sastifactory predictions of the suspension viscosity. A viscosity equaiton for aggregating suspensions that involves the fractal structure of clusters formed after thermal denaturatrion of proteins is also analyzed.