SUMMARY– We studied oxidation of a freeze‐dried model system consisting of methyl linoleate and gelatin by incubating the model system in air at 50°C for up to 10 days in the dry state or at controlled relative humidities. Incubation for 5‐10 days caused a drop in the viscosity of gelatin solutions, an increase in the solubility of gelatin in ethanol‐rich solvent mixtures, an increase in the retention time of gelatin on a Sephadex G‐150 column, and a reduction in the melting point of a standard gelatin gel. There were no such changes in the viscosity and solubility properties of gelatin when incubation was at a relative humidity of approximately 60%. In some instances, incubation at high relative humidity led to partial insolubilization of gelatin in water or in acetate buffer. The oxidation effects in the dry state were consistent with the hypothesis that gelatin undergoes oxidative degradation. The effects of oxidation showed similarities to effects of ionizing radiations.
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