Monovalent Salt and pH-Stimulated Gelation of Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) Male Gonad Hydrolysates/κ-Carrageenan

The gelation of scallopPatinopecten yessoensismale gonad hydrolysates (SMGHs) andκ-carrageenan (KC) subjected to pH (2–8, 3–9) and NaCl/KCl stimuli-response was investigated. SMGHs/KC gels subjected to a NaCl response exhibited an increasing storage modulusG′from 2028.6 to 3418.4 Pa as the pH decreased from pH 8 to 2, with correspondingT23fluctuating from 966.40 to 365.64ms. For the KCl-treated group, SMGHs/KC gels showed an even greaterG′ from 4646.7 to 10996.5 Pa, withT23fluctuating from 622.2 to 276.98msas the pH decreased from 9 to 3. The improved gel strength could be ascribed to the blueshift and redshift of hydroxyl groups and amide I peaks, enhanced enthalpy and peak temperature, and gathered characteristic diffraction peaks from SMGHs, KC, NaCl, and KCl. The CLSM and cryo-SEM images further reflected that SMGHs/KC gels showed more flocculation formation and denser and more homogeneous networks with smaller pore sizes in more acidic domains, especially when subjected to the KCl response. This research gives a theoretical and methodological understanding of the construction of salt- and pH-responsive SMGHs/KC hydrogels as novel functional soft biomaterials applied in food and biological fields.Keywords:scallop;κ-carrageenan;NaCl;KCl;responsive hydrogels