Characteristics and intermolecular forces in gelation of rice globulin with fatty acid salts

The physicochemical properties of rice globulin gel containing fatty acid salts were investigated. The addition of sodium caprate or sodium laurate increased softness, water-holding ability and transparency of the gel. Sodium caprylate also increased water-holding ability of the gel. Effects of various reagents on solubilization of protein from heat-induced gel containing sodium caprate suggested non-covalent bonds among the protein molecules mainly contributed to the stability of rice globulin gel containing fatty acid salts. N-ethylmaleimide did not inhibit gel formation, indicating that the disulfide bonds were not very important to form the gel with fatty acid salts in contrary with the gel without them. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the transparent gel had a very fine and homogeneous network structure in the gel able to keep the high water-holding ability of the rice globulin gel with fatty acid salts, (Received Sep, 29, 2003 ; Accepted Mar. 11, 2004)