Complexation of chitosan and gelatin: From soluble complexes to colloidal gel

The formation of soluble and insoluble complexes between chitosan (CH) and gelatin type B (GB) was investigated as a function of pH (3.0–6.5), sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration (0–100 mM), and storage time (up to 40 days). The turbidity of the CH/GB complexes achieved a maximum value at pH 5.5 and increased with time. The increase of ionic strength first intensified the complex formation but then decreased it at higher salt content. After phase separation, the main component of the separated dense phase was water, from 95.5 to 97.8 wt%, depending on NaCl concentration. With increasing storage time, the insoluble phase changed from a liquid-like system to a thermoreversible colloidal gel, as supported by confocal laser scanning microscopy as well as rheological data. The formation of this colloidal gel is explained in terms of electrostatic complexation and hydrogen bonding.