Water Behavior of Aerogels Obtained from Chemically Modified Potato Starches during Hydration
Joanna Le Thanh-Blicharz,
Jacek Lewandowicz,
Zuzanna Małyszek,
Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski,
Katarzyna Walkowiak,
Łukasz Masewicz,
Hanna Maria Baranowska
Affiliations
Joanna Le Thanh-Blicharz
Department of Food Concentrates and Starch Products, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agriculture and Food Biotechnology–State Research Institute, 40 Starołęcka St., 61-361 Poznań, Poland
Jacek Lewandowicz
Faculty of Engineering Management, Poznan University of Technology, 2 Jacka Rychlewskiego St., 60-965 Poznań, Poland
Zuzanna Małyszek
Department of Food Concentrates and Starch Products, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agriculture and Food Biotechnology–State Research Institute, 40 Starołęcka St., 61-361 Poznań, Poland
Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski
Department of Food Concentrates and Starch Products, Prof. Wacław Dąbrowski Institute of Agriculture and Food Biotechnology–State Research Institute, 40 Starołęcka St., 61-361 Poznań, Poland
Katarzyna Walkowiak
Department of Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 38/42 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Łukasz Masewicz
Department of Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 38/42 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Hanna Maria Baranowska
Department of Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 38/42 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Aerogels are highly porous materials that are prepared by removing water held within a hydrogel in a manner that maintains the three-dimensional structure of the gel. Recently, there has been much interest in the preparation of aerogels from biopolymers, including starch. The applicability of native starches in the food industry is partially limited; therefore, the functional properties of starch are often improved by means of physical and/or chemical modification. The aim of the work was the analysis of molecular dynamics and the transport of water in aerogels obtained from native and chemically modified potato starches of the normal and waxy variety. Chemical modification with OSA (E 1450) as well as cross-linking with adipic anhydrite and acetylation (E 1422) had no significant impact on the hydration of potato starch aerogels as well as equilibrium water activity. The introduction of chemical moieties into starch macromolecules led to the improved binding of water by the biopolymer matrix; this was especially evident in the case of waxy starch derivatives. A increase in the amylopectin-to-amylose ratio of starch used for production of aerogels resulted in a decrease of equilibrium water activity along with spin-lattice relaxation time.
