Rheological and microstructure evaluations of amorphous sucrose-maltodextrin-sodium citrate mixture

Abstract

Rheological properties and the mechanical relaxation behavior of rubbery amorphous sucrose-maltodextrin-sodium citrate systems were studied at room temperature using the small amplitude oscillatory shear test in the frequency range of 0.1 - 150 Hz. The system with high sucrose concentration exhibited viscous-dominant relaxation, while the system with high maltodextrin concentration exhibited elastic-dominant relaxation. The addition of sodium citrate could retard molecular mobility presumably due to its molecular interaction with sucrose rather than with maltodextrin. The technique was capable to detect changes in molecular process even with a small variation in the matrix components. Evidences obtained with scanning electron micrographs suggested the possible effect of sodium citrate to interfere with molecular interactions in the system with high maltodextrin concentration, i.e. the system tended to be more brittle.