Structural changes of casein micelles in a rennin gradient film with simultaneous consideration of the film morphology

Revisiting the interpretation of casein micelle SAXS data

An in-depth, critical review of model-dependent fitting of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data of bovine skim milk has led us to develop a new mathematical model for interpreting these data. Calcium-edge resonant soft X-ray scattering data provides unequivocal evidence as to the shape and location of the scattering due to colloidal calcium phosphate, which is manifested as a correlation peak centred at q = 0.035 Å(-1). In SAXS data this feature is seldom seen, although most literature studies attribute another feature centred at q = 0.08-0.1 Å(-1) to CCP. This work shows that the major SAXS features are due to protein arrangements: the casein micelle itself; internal regions approximately 20 nm in size, separated by water channels; and protein structures which are inhomogeneous on a 1-3 nm length scale. The assignment of these features is consistent with their behaviour under various conditions, including hydration time after reconstitution, addition of EDTA (a Ca-chelating agent), addition of urea, and reduction of pH.

Hollow Casein-Based Polymeric Nanospheres for Opaque Coatings

Casein-based hollow polymeric sphere were fabricated through emulsifier-free polymerization coupled with alkali swelling approach. Hollow structure and nanoscale size of casein-based polymeric spheres were verified by TEM, AFM, SEM, and UV-vis spectra. The as-obtained hollow spheres were proved exhibiting superior opaque characteristic. Through adjusting the structural parameters, for example, MAA usages and MAA content in seed to core, sphere film showed tunable visible-light transmittance and antiultraviolet property. The formation mechanism of casein-based hollow sphere has been discussed in depth. Worth mentioning, the resultant hollow polymeric sphere can easily form films itself at room temperature, which would open a new possibility of designing opaque coatings in several fields, such as leather, packaging, paper making, biomedical, and special indoor coating applications.

Water ingress into a casein film quantified using time-resolved neutron imaging

The migration of water into a casein film was probed with neutron radiography. From the neutron transmission images, the evolution of the water saturation profiles was extracted. The results indicate that the water influx is dominated by imbibition but also contains a diffusional component. The time dependence of the water ingress was quantified using a diffusion-like equation previously also applied to imbibition. A water transport coefficient D = 0.9 × 10(-9) m(2) s(-1) was found. This value and direct observation of the images indicate that the time taken for a typical adhesive casein-based layer to become saturated with water is of the order of hours.

Tracking Structural Changes in Lipid-based Multicomponent Food Materials due to Oil Migration by Microfocus Small-Angle X-ray Scattering

One of the major problems in the confectionery industry is chocolate fat blooming, that is, the formation of white defects on the chocolate surface due to fat crystals. Nevertheless, the mechanism responsible for the formation of chocolate fat blooming is not fully understood yet. Chocolate blooming is often related to the migration of lipids to the surface followed by subsequent recrystallization. Here, the migration pathway of oil into a cocoa butter matrix with different dispersed particles was investigated by employing microfocus small-angle X-ray scattering and contact angle measurements. Our results showed that the chocolate powders get wet by the oil during the migration process and that the oil is migrating into the pores within seconds. Subsequently, cocoa butter is dissolved by the oil, and thus, its characteristic crystalline structure is lost. The chemical process provoked by the dissolution is also reflected by microscopical changes of the surface morphology of chocolate model samples after several hours from the addition of oil to the sample. Finally, the surface morphology was investigated before and after oil droplet exposure and compared to that of water exposure, whereby water seems to physically migrate through the particles, namely cocoa powder, sucrose, and milk powder, which dissolve in the presence of water.

Structural characterization of casein micelles: shape changes during film formation

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of size-fractionation by centrifugation on the film structure of casein micelles. Fractionated casein micelles in solution were asymmetrically distributed with a small distribution width as measured by dynamic light scattering. Films prepared from the size-fractionated samples showed a smooth surface in optical microscopy images and a homogeneous microstructure in atomic force micrographs. The nano- and microstructure of casein films was probed by micro-beam grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (μGISAXS). Compared to the solution measurements, the sizes determined in the film were larger and broadly distributed. The measured GISAXS patterns clearly deviate from those simulated for a sphere and suggest a deformation of the casein micelles in the film.

How to squeeze a sponge: casein micelles under osmotic stress, a SAXS study

By combining the osmotic stress technique with small-angle x-ray scattering measurements, we followed the structural response of the casein micelle to an overall increase in concentration. When the aqueous phase that separates the micelles is extracted, they behave as polydisperse repelling spheres and their internal structure is not affected. When they are compressed, the micelles lose water and shrink to a smaller volume. Our results indicate that this compression is nonaffine, i.e., some parts of the micelle collapse, whereas other parts resist deformation. We suggest that this behavior is consistent with a spongelike casein micelle having a triple hierarchical structure. The lowest level of the structure consists of the CaP nanoclusters that serve as anchors for the casein molecules. The intermediate level consists of 10- to 40-nm hard regions that resist compression and contain the nanoclusters. Those regions are connected and/or partially merged with each other, thus forming a continuous and porous material. The third level of structure is the casein micelle itself, with an average size of 100 nm. In our view, such a structure is consistent with the observation of 10- to 20-nm casein particles in the Golgi vesicles of lactating cells: upon aggregation, those particles would rearrange, fuse, and/or swell to form the spongelike micelle.