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Furcellaran: Impact of Concentration, Rheological Properties, and Structure on Ice Recrystallization Inhibition
Julian Gerhäuser1, Julia Hale2, Daniel Wefers3
1Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Food Process Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kaiserstraße 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
Abstract:
Recrystallization is considered the main damaging mechanism during the frozen storage of biologic materials. In this study, furcellaran, a polysaccharide related to κ-carrageenan, was studied for its concentration-dependent effect on ice crystal growth and recrystallization. The structure and sulfate content of the utilized furcellaran was analyzed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, ion chromatography, and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. Additionally, the rheological properties of furcellaran solutions were investigated. Our findings demonstrate that furcellaran inhibits ice growth as effectively as κ-carrageenan. Furthermore, the rheological properties change with increasing furcellaran concentration, resulting in a gel-like consistency at 5 g/L, which coincides with decreased recrystallization inhibition activity and larger crystals. This suggests that gel formation or a gel-like consistency has to be avoided for optimal recrystallization inhibition activity.
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