Effect of konjac glucomannan addition on aroma release in gels containing potato starch

The present study aimed to measure the retention of aroma compounds (ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate and carvacrol) in dispersions based on konjac glucomannan and/or potato starch, and to highlight the influence of konjac glucomannan on the mechanisms involved in aroma retention. Publications on the effect of konjac glucomannan on aroma release are scarce. Konjac glucomannan is a polysaccharide used as a food additive for its viscous and emulsifying properties. Retention of aroma compounds in dispersions was calculated from partition coefficients which were measured using the phase ratio variation method. This method, consisting of analyses of the headspace at equilibrium, enables the determination of the partition coefficient of volatile compounds in a gas/liquid system without external or internal calibration. The three aroma compounds chosen for this study behave differently toward amylose. Prior to the release study, the complexing behavior of carvacrol with starch, hitherto unknown, was investigated by X-ray diffraction: V_6III amylose complexes were formed with carvacrol. Our results showed no specific interaction between ethyl hexanoate and potato starch or konjac glucomannan. Ethyl acetate retention seemed to be due to trapping in the complex network of polysaccharides and to the density of this network. Retention of carvacrol was influenced by the nature of polysaccharides present in the dispersion, and was mainly governed by specific interaction with starch. Additionally, the addition of konjac glucomannan to potato starch dispersions decreased the retention of volatile compounds complexing starch, but had little effect on the retention of the other aroma compounds.