title: Mechanical degradation and changes in conformation of hydrophobically modified starch.
abstract: In this paper, we study the mechanical degradation and changes in conformation of a branched ultrahigh molar mass biomacromolecule, hydrophobically modified starch, as caused by high-pressure homogenization. The characterization was performed with asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AsFlFFF) with multiangle light scattering (MALS) and refractive index detection. The starch which had been chemically modified with octenyl succinate anhydride (OSA) proved to be very large and polydisperse. Upon high-pressure homogenization, the molar mass and rms radius (r(rms)) decreased, and the extent of these changes was related to the turbulent flow conditions during homogenization. The treatment also induced an increase and scaling with size in the apparent density of the macromolecules. To further study the changes in conformation, it was necessary to calculate the hydrodynamic radii (r(h)). This can be determined numerically from the elution times in the analysis and the flow conditions in the AsFlFFF channel. The results showed that the treatment can cause a dramatic decrease in the quotient between r(rms) and r(h), suggesting major conformational changes. These results together could be interpreted as degradation and "crumpling" of the macromolecule, which would give a decrease in r(rms) and an increase in apparent density, together with a "fraying" of more outer parts of the macromolecule, which could give rise to the increase in r(h).
authors.affiliation: Division of Food Technology and Division of Technical Analytical Chemistry, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden. lars.nilsson@food.lth.se
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leeman
authors.forename: Karl-Gustav
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Wahlund
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bergenståhl
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D000687:Amylopectin / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D001711:Biotransformation; D001467:Hordeum; D008027:Light; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011312:Pressure; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D011198:Solanum tuberosum; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D013213:Starch; D000687:Amylopectin