Interpolymer complexes and polymer compatibility.

A reliable method to decide whether two polymers A and B are miscible or incompatible would be very helpful in many ways. In this contribution we demonstrate why traditional procedures cannot work. We propose to use the intrinsic viscosities [η] of the polymer blends instead of the composition dependence of the viscosities as a criterion for polymer miscibility. Two macromolecules A and B are miscible because of sufficiently favorable interactions between the two types of polymer segments. For solutions of these polymers in a joint solvent, this Gibbs energetic preference of dissimilar intersegmental contacts should prevail upon dilution and lead to the formation of interpolymer complexes, manifesting themselves in deviations from the additivity of intrinsic viscosities.

Beta-1,3-glucanase from Delftia tsuruhatensis strain MV01 and its potential application in vinification.

During vinification microbial activities can spoil wine quality. As the wine-related lactic acid bacterium Pediococcus parvulus is able to produce slimes consisting of a ß-1,3-glucan, must and wine filtration can be difficult or impossible. In addition, the metabolic activities of several wild-type yeasts can also negatively affect wine quality. Therefore, there is a need for measures to degrade the exopolysaccharide from Pediococcus parvulus and to inhibit the growth of certain yeasts. We examined an extracellular ß-1,3-glucanase from Delftia tsuruhatensis strain MV01 with regard to its ability to hydrolyze both polymers, the ß-1,3-glucan from Pediococcus and that from yeast cell walls. The 29-kDa glycolytic enzyme was purified to homogeneity. It exhibited an optimal activity at 50°C and pH 4.0. The sequencing of the N terminus revealed significant similarities to ß-1,3-glucanases from different bacteria. In addition, the investigations indicated that this hydrolytic enzyme is still active under wine-relevant parameters such as elevated ethanol, sulfite, and phenol concentrations as well as at low pH values. Therefore, the characterized enzyme seems to be a useful tool to prevent slime production and undesirable yeast growth during vinification.