Investigation of the Effects of Composition Variables on the Interaction of Solubilized Keratin Intermediate Filament Protein and Cationic Polysaccharides

摘要

Complex coacervates formed between biological macromolecules, such as proteins and polysaccharides, have many promising applications in drug delivery, food science, cosmetics, and biomedical fields. Oppositely charged macromolecules form complexes due to their attractive ion-ion interactions. This interaction is driven by an increase in system entropy from the ion exchange process which releases the bound polyelectrolyte counterions during coacervation. These ionic interactions are a function of pH, ionic strength, charge density, and macromolecule concentration. Manipulation of previously stated variables can be used to adjust coacervate structure and phase behavior.