Effect of transglutaminase on heat-induced gel properties at acid pH of mixtures of plasma and haemoglobin hydrolysate from porcine blood

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of treating protein solutions prepared by mixing different percentages of haemoglobin hydrolysate and plasma from porcine blood with microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) on the properties of thermal-induced gels at pH 5.5. Solutions were adjusted to pH 7.0 just before their incubation with different MTGase concentrations. After the enzymatic treatment, solutions were lowered to pH 5.5 and submitted to the thermal gelation process. The results indicate an overall better gelling ability of the lowest HbH- content mixtures relative to those containing the highest HbH-content ones, with a clearly different behaviour regarding the MTGase effects.