Article,
Rheological characterisation of mixed gels of mucin and alginate
Carbohydr. Polym., 59 (2): 189 -- 195 (January 2005)
Abstract
Aqueous mixtures of purified mucin and alginate have been shown to
form weak viscoelastic gels under appropriate conditions. These mixed
gels of mucin and alginate have been studied by both small deformation
and large deformation rheology, and the effects of temperature and
ionic strength on small deformation rheology have been investigated.
The gels were theologically reversible, flowing as the shear stress
was increased and recovering their solid dominant properties as the
shear stress decreased, and thermally stable showing little change
in small deformation rheology in the range 10-60 degreesC. The effect
of ionic strength on gel rheology was indicative of the presence
of electrostatic interactions within the gel matrix. Based on these
investigations, we propose that mixed mucin alginate gels are maintained
by both heteropolymeric mucin-alginate interactions and homopolymeric
mucin-mucin interactions. The ability of alginate to interact with
mucin and promote mucin-mucin interactions may also have relevance
to understanding the clinical problems associated with pulmonary
infection with the alginate secreting bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa
in cystic fibrosis patients. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
