Aggregation behaviour of bovine serum albumin as a cause of sauce liquid separation by heating

Heating white sauce with bovine serum albumin (BSA) at 90 °C caused the sauce to separate into aggregates and liquid phase, although this did not occur at 75 °C. Data from differential scanning calorimetry of BSA solution suggested that heat denaturation of BSA was insufficient at 75 °C but was complete at about 90 °C. Larger aggregates of BSA were formed by heating at 90 °C compared with 75 °C, as shown by gel permeation chromatography combined with a multi-angle laser light-scattering detector. Dynamic viscoelasticity measurement showed a higher storage modulus of BSA solution formed by heating at 90 °C than at 75 °C. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a random agglomerate structure of aggregates (spherical aggregates) obtained by 75 °C heating, while a well-developed network structure containing voids was observed after heating at 90 °C. These findings suggest that sauce liquid separation induced by heating at 90 °C is due to encapsulation and restriction of white sauce components by large structured aggregates of BSA containing voids. Aggregates generated at 75 °C were not sufficiently developed and structured; therefore there was no sauce liquid separation due to encapsulation and restriction of components. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry