(10/12) Now, let's see the "gel"-preservation effect of AFP. We prepared 3 ml of 0.5% agarose gel that now includes 0.2 microgram/ml of AFP (movie, R&B are AFP). Note that AFPs were not precipitated by addition of the hot agarose solution. The right photo is the AFP-containig gel after freezing storage for 2 hrs, showing that its gel structure is preserved to maintain the water-holding property. Note that the frozen gel structure is also preserved by addition of sugar (ex. 5% sucrose). AFP does not change the taste and osmorality, which might be beneficial for general use. Similarly to the red-colored ice (page 8), AFPs are thought to inhibit the ice block formation within the gel, thereby maintaing the polymer network. One may imagine that AFP is applicable to the freezing storage of more water-containing materials, such as foods, cells, and tissues. (->next) (->page1) (->home) |
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