Abstract:
To investigate the effects of different Ca
2+ concentrations (control group, Ca
1 0.86 mmol/L, Ca
2 2.58 mmol/L, Ca
3 17.2 mmol/L, Ca
4 34.4 mmol/L) on the structure and physicochemical properties of catechin-ovalbumin amyloid fibril hydrogels (C-OVAF), we conducted a systematic analysis using techniques such as thioflavin T fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, rheology, low-field NMR, particle size analysis, zeta potential measurement, surface hydrophobicity assessment, antioxidant experiments, scanning electron microscopy, and molecular docking. The results showed that, compared with the control group, Ca
2+ cross-linking significantly altered the secondary structure (α-helix increased from 6% in the control to 12% in Ca
4, β-turns increased from 16% (control) to 29% (Ca
4), β-sheets decreased from 50% (control) to 43% (Ca
4), and random coils decreased from 28% (control) to 15% (Ca
3); As Ca
2+ concentration increased, the storage modulus (G') first rose and then fell, with the Ca
2+ group exhibiting the highest G' (indicating the highest network density and elasticity). Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed an increase in the proportion at this concentration. with significantly optimized water retention, the lowest surface hydrophobicity, and DPPH, ABTS
+ radicals reached 78.3% and 85.6%, respectively, with optimal antioxidant activity, while the system’s particle size and zeta potential stabilized; scanning electron microscopy revealed that the Ca
2+ group formed a regular, continuous network structure, and molecular docking confirmed that C-OVAF forms complexes via hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding, with Ca
2+ in the Ca
2+ group enhancing intermolecular interactions through coordination. In summary, Ca
2+ crosslinking significantly improves the structure and properties of C-OVAF hydrogels. A Ca
2+ concentration of 2.58 mmol/L balances molecular intermolecular forces to simultaneously optimize water retention and antioxidant activity. This study provides theoretical guidance for the performance regulation, preparation optimization, and food processing applications of metal ion-crosslinked polyphenol-protein hydrogels.