Complex Coacervation of O-Carboxymethylated Chitosan and Gum Arabic

The effects of O-carboxymethylation modification on the coacervation of chitosan with gum arabic (GA) were investigated. O-carboxymethylated chitosan (O-CMC) carried less net positive charge in acidic solutions and its optimum pH and biopolymer ratio for coacervation with GA were lower than those of native chitosan. O-carboxymethylation modification decreased the optimum coacervation temperature from 45 to 25°C and greatly increased the sensitivity to ionic strength. Meanwhile, insoluble O-CMC–GA coacervates were formed in relative lower critical total biopolymer concentration than chitosan–GA coacervates. It was concluded that the O-carboxymethylation modification markedly influenced the electrostatic interaction of chitosan with GA.