MIXED IOTA-KAPPA CARRAGEENAN GELS

Studies have been made of the gelation of mixtures of iota and kappa c arrageenan. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies suggest th at the iota and kappa components gel independently of each other. The DSC data conflict with evidence presented for the currently accepted D omain model for carrageenan gelation (Morris, E.R., Rees, D.A. and Rob inson, G.J. J. Mel. Biol. 1980; 138: 349). In particular, the present data suggest that iota carrageenan gels show thermoreversible setting and melting behaviour associated with the coil-helix transition. Analy sis of rheological data favours an interpenetrating network (IPN) mode l for gelation of the mixtures.