Thixotropic α-lactalbumin hydrogels, method for preparing same and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724423-B2
Application number	US-201214110577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2012
Priority date	Apr 8, 2011
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to shear-thinning α-lactalbumin hydrogels, which have a threshold and are thixotropic, to a method for preparing same and to the use thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. process of preparing an α-lactalbumin hydrogel from an aqueous suspension of α-lactalbumin at a concentration C a-La of between 5 and 60 mg/ml, comprising the following steps:
(a) suspending the α-lactalbumin in an acidic aqueous solution having an ionic strength of an added salt of less than or equal to 60 mM; said suspending consisting in:
(a1) preparing an acidic aqueous solution having a concentration of protons expressed in mM determined by the sum: (numerical value of C a-La expressed in g/l) +10;
(a2) suspending the α-lactalbumin in said acidic aqueous solution; and
(a3) adjusting the pH to a value of between 1.5 and 2.5;

(b) forming the gel from said α-lactalbumin suspension obtained at the end of step a); said forming of the gel is carried out under the following conditions;
at a temperature below 60° C.;
with stirring having a strength defined by a Reynolds number of between 37 and 1000;
for 10 hours to 1 week, and
in the absence of evaporation of water from said α-lactalbumin suspension,

wherein said α lactalbumin hydrogel is an α lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel which has a yield point and is thixotropic, having an α lactalbumin content of between 5 and 60 mg/ml, a pH of between 1.5 and 2.5 and an ionic strength of an added salt of less than or equal to 60 mM.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the Reynolds number is between 300 and 500.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature is between 35 and 55° C.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH is between 1.8 and 2.2.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the α-lactalbumin suspension obtained at the end of step (a) is filtered.

6. An α-lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel obtained according to the process of claim 1 .

7. An α-lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel which has a yield point and is thixotropic, having an α-lactalbumin content of between 5 and 60 mg/ml, a pH of between 1.5 and 2.5and an ionic strength of less than or equal to 60 mM.

8. A food product comprising at least one α-lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel of claim 6 .

9. A dressing comprising at least one α-lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel of claim 6 , and optionally at least one active compound, such as a healing agent or an antimicrobial agent.

10. A cosmetic composition comprising at least one α-lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel of claim 6 .

11. A paint comprising at least one α-lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel of claim 6 .

12. A method of treating a wound in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the wound the dressing according to claim 9 .

13. An α-lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel which has a yield point and is thixotropic, having an α-lactalbumin content of between 5 and 60 mg/ml and an ionic strength of an added salt of less than or equal to 60 mM.

14. A method of enhancing texture of a food product comprising adding the αlactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel produced by the process of claim 1 to the food product.

15. A method of preparing a cosmetic comprising adding the α-lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel produced by the process of claim 1 to the cosmetic.

16. A method of preparing paint comprising adding the α-lactalbumin shear-thinning hydrogel produced by the process of claim 1 to the paint.

Assignees

• Forge Vincent
• Mathevon Carole
• Pignon Frédéric
• Commissariat Energie Atomique
• Centre Nat Rech Scient

Inventors

• Forge Vincent
• Mathevon Carole
• Pignon Frédéric

Classifications

• A61P31/04

  Antibacterial agents · CPC title

• A61P17/02

  for treating wounds, ulcers, burns, scars, keloids, or the like · CPC title

• A61K8/042

  Gels · CPC title

• A61K47/42 Primary

  Proteins; Polypeptides; Degradation products thereof; Derivatives thereof, e.g. albumin, gelatin or zein (oligopeptides having up to five amino acids {A61K47/183}; polyamino acids A61K47/34) · CPC title

• A61K38/38

  Albumins · CPC title