Abstract
Investigating the solvent transport behaviour of edible gels is important because it is strongly related to flavour release. We previously reported the solvent transport behaviour of mechanically-constrained agarose gels. These studies clearly showed that agarose gels can be treated as soft porous bodies. Herein, we investigated the effect of sweeteners on the solvent transport speed, which is an important issue in the food industry, using sucrose and xylitol. Sucrose caused a concentration-dependent reduction in solvent transport speed. One of the reasons for the effect is that the solvent to which sucrose was added reduced solvent flow speed within the porous agarose network. This finding provides valuable information for flavour release from compressed gels. Moreover, we found a similar effect for xylitol, which is a promising candidate for substituting sucrose in low-calorie foods. This study would provide basic knowledge for the development of a new type of low-calorie foods.
Highlights
Agarose is a neutral polysaccharide derived from Rhodophyta with a structure consisting of repeating 1,3-binding β-D-galactose and 1,4-binding 3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactose units
Agarose is insoluble in water at low temperatures owing to its double helix structure [1], but dissolves at high temperatures due to dissociation of the double helix
We have investigated the solvent transport behaviour of constrained agarose gel as a model system for studying flavour release behavior [3,4]
Summary
Agarose is a neutral polysaccharide derived from Rhodophyta with a structure consisting of repeating 1,3-binding β-D-galactose and 1,4-binding 3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactose units. Agarose is insoluble in water at low temperatures owing to its double helix structure [1], but dissolves at high temperatures due to dissociation of the double helix. As agarose dissolved in water at high temperatures is allowed to cool and the thermal motion of the polymer chain is restrained, hydrogen bonds reform to create the double helix structure. If the polymer concentration is high enough, the helical structure forms a three-dimensional network [2]. As the helical structure is not water soluble, the 3D network structure does not swell in water. A large quantity of water is held within the network structure, affording an agarose gel
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