Characterization and functional properties of soybean high-molecular-mass polysaccharide complex

AFM image of SSPS (a), SSPS-HC (b), or HM-pectin (c) deposited from a 1 μg/ml solution containing 2 mM Tween-20. A small number of multi-branched polymers in SSPS-HC and SSPS are evenly flatted on the fresh mica surface, while network structures made of linear polymers in HM-pectin are observed. SSPS appeared as a structure resembling a star polymer, the overall dimension <80 nm. SSPS-HC not only appeared as a structure resembling a star polymer, but also a high-molecular complex of SSPS, the overall dimension >200 nm.