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Preparation-structure-function relationships governing syneresis behavior in alkali-induced konjac glucomannan gel
Xiaoxuan Chen1, Yingfeng Zhang1, Chunan Sun1
1College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
None:
Severe spontaneous syneresis limits the shelf-life stability of alkali-induced konjac glucomannan (KGM) gels, yet the underlying kinetic mechanisms and regulation strategies remain insufficiently understood. In this study, kinetic analysis indicated that the syneresis process followed a first-order kinetic model, with an abnormally prolonged, gradual water release process observed at 25°C. Beyond conventional strategies such as increasing KGM concentration and molecular weight, maintaining a slower gelation process including gradual deacetylation under a buffered alkaline system (pH 10.5) and a lower gelling temperature (∼70°C) markedly suppressed syneresis. Quantitative correlation analysis revealed that syneresis ratios were closely associated with residual acetyl content, hydrogen bonding strength, and network heterogeneity. These findings demonstrate that enhancing network uniformity through controlled gelation kinetics effectively delays the network-rearrangement-induced transition of water from bound to free states, thereby inhibiting its migration through microchannels. This work provides mechanistic insight for improving the storage stability of KGM gels.
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