Mechano-Chemistry across Phase Transitions in Heated Albumin Protein Solutions

Abstract

The presence of certain proteins in biofluids such as synovial fluid, blood plasma, and saliva gives these fluids non-Newtonian viscoelastic properties. The amount of these protein macromolecules in biofluids is an important biomarker for the diagnosis of various health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disorders, and joint quality. However, existing technologies for measuring the behavior of macromolecules in biofluids have limitations, such as long turnaround times, complex protocols, and insufficient sensitivity. To address these issues, we propose non-contact, optical Brillouin and Raman spectroscopy to assess the viscoelasticity and chemistry of non-Newtonian solutions, respectively, at different temperatures in several minutes. In this work, bovine and human serum albumin solution-based biopolymers were studied to obtain both their collective dynamics and molecular chemical evolution across heat-driven phase transitions at various protein concentrations. The observed phase transitions at elevated temperatures could be fully delayed in heated biopolymers by appropriately raising the level of protein concentration. The non-contact optical monitoring of viscoelastic and chemical property evolution could represent novel potential mechano-chemical biomarkers for disease diagnosis and subsequent treatment applications, including hyperthermia.