Effects of polyphenols on crystallization of amorphous sucrose lyophiles

The crystallization of amorphous sucrose in food products can greatly affect the quality of foods. This study investigated the effects of polyphenols on the crystallization of amorphous sucrose lyophiles. Monoglycosylated, polyglycosylated, and aglycones with differing polyphenol backbones were studied, in addition to bulk food ingredients containing a high concentration of polyphenols. Solutions containing sucrose with and without polyphenols (1 and 5%) were lyophilized, stored in RH-controlled desiccators, and analyzed by x-ray diffraction. Moisture sorption studies, Karl Fischer titration, and differential scanning calorimetry were also completed. Polyphenol addition delayed sucrose crystallization by up to 6.4x compared to the control. Structure played the most significant role in efficacy of polyphenols in delaying sucrose crystallization, more than T_g or hygroscopicity. Glycosylated polyphenols were more effective than aglycones, polyphenols with (2,1) glycosidic linkages were more effective than those with (6,1) linkages, and bulk food ingredients were the most effective at delaying sucrose crystallization.