Water sorption and glass transition of pig gastric mucin studied by QCM-D.

Hydration of films of pig gastric mucin was studied using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) equipped with a humidity module. As a prerequisite, the water adsorption isotherm of a clean silica surface was determined. Atomic force microscopy was used to characterize the changes occurring on the silica surface after repeated sorption/desorption and cleaning cycles.

Effect of hydration on structural and thermodynamic properties of pig gastric and bovine submaxillary gland mucins.

One of the essential functions of mucous gel is protection of tissues against dehydration. The effect of hydration on the structural and thermodynamic properties of pig gastric mucin (PGM) and bovine submaxillary gland mucin (BSM) have been studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM), sorption, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The analysis of sorption isotherms shows the higher water sorption capacity of PGM compared to BSM at RH levels lower than about 78%.