A new approach for the spatially resolved qualitative analysis of the protein distribution in hydrogel beads based on confocal laser scanning microscopy

To investigate the spatial distribution of white egg albumin (WEA) in alginate beads, a new method based on confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was developed. In contrast to the existing CLSM methods, misleading conclusions are prevented with the application of the new method which does not allow the attenuation of the exciting and emitted light by the opaque hydrogel matrices to be disregarded. By the application of this method, the distribution of WEA in alginate beads was shown to be dependent on the amount of protein loading. At low quantities of protein, a higher protein concentration occurs in the shell layer of the alginate bead while at higher loadings a more or less homogeneous distribution is observed.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]