Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Nutrition and Food Sciences

First Advisor

Mingruo Guo

Abstract

Whey proteins are mainly a group of small globular proteins. Their structures can be modified by physical, chemical and other means to improve their functionality. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of radiation on protein-protein interaction, microstructure, and microbiological properties of whey protein-water solutions. Whey protein isolate (WPI) solutions (27-36% protein) were treated with different dosages (10-35 KGy) of gamma radiation. The protein solutions were analyzed for viscosity, turbidity, soluble nitrogen, total plate count, and yeast and mold counts. The interactions between whey proteins were also analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The viscosity of protein solution (27%, w/w) was increased from 2.19 for the control to 4.78 mPa*s for the sample treated at 25 KGy, respectively, and viscosity also increased during storage at 23°C. The soluble nitrogen (10%, w/w) was decreased from 100% to 54.7% for control and the sample treated at 35 KGy. The effects of gamma radiation and storage time on viscosity of whey protein solutions were significant (p

Language

en

Number of Pages

69 p.

Included in

Food Science Commons

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