Phase Diagram of Aqueous Two-Phase System (ATPS) Composed of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and Gelatin

Phase diagram of aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) composed of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and gelatin is of paramount importance for the application of such system in microencapsulation of bioactive compounds. Phase separation of PEG/gelatin aqueous solution was investigated in the present work and the phase diagram of resultant ATPS was reported for the first time. The results show that phase separation will happen if the solid content of PEG/gelatin aqueous solution is higher than a critical value, resulting in an ATPS. The resultant ATPS consists of a low-density phase enriched in PEG and a dense phase enriched in gelatin. The phase compositions of the resultant ATPS were determined accurately using the method developed. The phase diagrams obtained show that higher solid content is required for the phase separation of PEG10,000/gelatin aqueous solution when compared with that of PEG20,000/gelatin one. And PEG is found to be more hydrophilic when compared with gelatin.