Effect of calcium chelators on physical changes in casein micelles in concentrated micellar casein solutions

The effect of calcium chelators on physical changes of casein micelles in concentrated micellar casein solutions was investigated by measuring calcium-ion activity, viscosity and turbidity, and performing ultracentrifugation. The highest viscosities were measured on addition of sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP), because it cross-linked the caseins. For the weak calcium chelator disodium uridine monophosphate (Na2UMP), physical changes in the solutions were negligible. Disodium hydrogen phosphate (Na2HPO4), trisodium citrate (TSC), and sodium phytate (SP) caused similar increases in viscosity, but had different effects on turbidity. The increase in viscosity was attributed to swelling of the casein micelles (i.e., increased voluminosity) at decreasing calcium-ion activity. The major decrease in turbidity was due to dissociation of the casein micelles. The extent of micellar dissociation was dependent on the type and concentration of calcium chelator. It seems that the micelles were dissociated in the order of SHMP ≥ SP > TSC > Na2HPO4 > Na2UMP.