• KGM-EW gel structure shifted from network interpenetration to particle-filled gels. • Combined ultrasound deacetylation treatment accelerates structural transformation. • Combined treatment of the KGM-EW structure becomes more disordered. • Combined treatment showed better structural stability and water holding capacity. Konjac glucomannan (KGM) gel is widely used, but its gel structure has inconsistencies in interpenetrating networks and particle filling. In this study, KGM-egg white (EW) gel was treated using ultrasound and ultrasound combined deacetylation to clarify its effects on structure and interaction. The results showed that the combined treatment lowered the thermal gelation temperature of KGM-EW and improved the frequency stability of the gel structure. The gel network of KGM-EW transformed from an interpenetrating gel network to a particle-filled structure, with combined treatment accelerating the structural transformation process. The main mechanism is that combined treatment reduced KGM entanglement and promoted the transformation of the gel structure from a long-chain linked fixed network to a particle-filled EW three-dimensional network. The structural transformation process of the two treatments mainly involved noncovalent interactions such as hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, and disulfide bonds. The random coil structure is enhanced with combined treatment, indicating partial protein unfolding that provides additional binding sites, thereby promoting KGM filling and binding. In addition, combined treatment KGM-EW had better texture properties and water retention, which was conducive to the production of stable and moisture-rich gel. This study clarified the mechanism of structural transformation of KGM-EW under different treatments, offering theoretical guidance for the development of specialized medical foods.
Hou et al. (Thu,) studied this question.