This study investigated the effect of trehalose addition (0.5–2.0%) on the gelation properties of curdlan gels were investigated. The results demonstrated that the optimal gelation performance of curdlan-trehalose composite gel was determined at trehalose concentration of 1.0% with preferable water holding capacity, water absorption rate, and freeze-thaw stability. The gelation behavior of the curdlan-trehalose composite gel showed a more intense network structure with increasing storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), and deceasing tan δ at the trehalose concentration in the range of 0%–1%. And the highest gel strength was also observed in 1% trehalose addition. Moreover, the structures characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and scanning electron microscope analysis (SEM) all revealed that the addition of trehalose strengthened the hydrogen bonding interaction with curdlan to create a much denser network of composite gel, which would provide a better mechanistic insight of the curdlan-trehalose gel in practical application potentials in food and medicine.
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