Improvement of the characteristics of fish gelatin – gum arabic through the formation of the polyelectrolyte complex

The aim of this study was to evaluate and characterize the interaction between fish gelatin (FG) and Gum Arabic(GA) and its effects in obtaining optimal atomization conditions. The optimal conditions (D = 0.866) founded in this paper were: Gum Arabic concentration of 33.4% and inlet air temperature of 130 °C. These conditions afforded 6.62 g/h yield, 0.27 aw and 247 g of Gel Strength, that are considered as suitable characteristics for food grade gelatin. The complex formed (FG-GA) was successfully obtained, as demonstrated by the results of amino acid profile, SDS-PAGE, FTIR spectroscopy, zeta potential and morphology. It was also verified that the formation of FG-GA promotes positive changes, such as higher atomization yield, adequate Gel Strength, low hygroscopicity and high solubility. The technological properties of FG-GA shown high potential to be applied in the food industry as well in other industrial fields like chemical and pharmaceutical areas.