Glyn O. Phillips Hydrocolloid Research Centre at HBUT, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China.
Chongqing Key Laboratory of Speciality Food Co-Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Nov;281(Pt 3):136398. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136398. Epub 2024 Oct 9.
Polysaccharides have emerged as versatile materials capable of forming gels through diverse induction methods, with alcohol-induced polysaccharide gels demonstrating significant potential across food, medicinal, and other domains. The existing research mainly focused on the phenomena and mechanisms of alcohol-induced gel formation in specific polysaccharides. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the intricate mechanisms underpinning alcohol-triggered gelation of different polysaccharides and surveys their prominent application potentials through rheological, mechanical, and other characterizations. The mechanism underlying the enhancement of polysaccharide network structures by alcohol is elucidated, where alcohol displaces water to establish hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions with polysaccharide chains. Specifically, alcohols change the arrangement of water molecules, and the partial hydration shell surrounding polysaccharide molecules is disrupted, exposing polysaccharides' hydrophobic groups and enhancing hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, the pivotal influences of alcohol concentration and addition method on polysaccharide gelation kinetics are scrutinized, revealing nuanced dependencies such as the different gel-promoting capabilities of polyols versus monohydric alcohols and the critical threshold concentrations dictating gel formation. Notably, immersion of polysaccharide gels in alcohol augments gel strength, while direct alcohol addition to polysaccharide solutions precipitates gel formation. Future investigations are urged to unravel the intricate nexus between the mechanisms underpinning alcohol-induced polysaccharide gelation and their practical utility, thereby paving the path for tailored manipulation of environmental conditions to engineer bespoke alcohol-induced polysaccharide gels.
多糖已成为多功能材料，能够通过多种诱导方法形成凝胶，其中醇诱导的多糖凝胶在食品、医药和其他领域具有重要的应用潜力。现有研究主要集中在特定多糖中醇诱导凝胶形成的现象和机制上。因此，本综述全面概述了不同多糖醇引发凝胶化的复杂机制，并通过流变学、力学和其他特性研究了它们突出的应用潜力。阐明了醇增强多糖网络结构的机制，其中醇取代水与多糖链建立氢键和疏水相互作用。具体而言，醇改变水分子的排列，破坏多糖分子周围的部分水合壳，暴露出多糖的疏水基团并增强疏水相互作用。此外，还仔细研究了醇浓度和添加方法对多糖凝胶化动力学的关键影响，揭示了多元醇与一元醇在促进凝胶形成方面的不同能力以及决定凝胶形成的临界浓度阈值等细微依赖性。值得注意的是，将多糖凝胶浸入醇中会增加凝胶强度，而直接向多糖溶液中添加醇则会导致凝胶形成。未来的研究需要揭示醇诱导多糖凝胶化的机制与其实际应用之间的复杂关系，从而为根据需要调整环境条件以工程定制的醇诱导多糖凝胶铺平道路。
