Temperature dependence of carrageenan and hyaluronan solutions

This diploma thesis focuses on the study of temperature dependence of -carrageen, hyaluronan of low molecular weight (250–450 kDa) and hyaluronan of high molecular weight (1 500–1 750 kDa) in aqueous solutions. The description of temperature depending changes in properties of these substance is based on rheological method. This work concentrates on the characterization of viscoelasticity through measurement of the storage (elastic) and loss (viscous) modulus using -carrageen and hyaluronan solutions of different molecular weights and different concentrations depending on temperature (20–50 °C, alternatively, in carrageen, 20–80 °C). The temperature dependence was further measured using an uncommon technique called high resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy (HR-US) which measured relative velocity of selected concentrations of -carrageen and hyaluronan of high molecular weight depending on the temperature of heating and cooling (20–80 °C). The measurements of temperature dependence were carried out for varied oscillation frequencies of rheometer sensor/frequency of ultrasonic waves. Knowledge of temperature dependence of the investigated substances may be applied in drug chemistry, primarily with respect to degradation due to high temperatures. The measured data gives information about sol-gel temperature and gel-sol temperature of carrageen