title: Pulsed field gradient spin-echo NMR measurement of water diffusion coefficient in thickening and gelling agents: guar galactomannan solutions and pectin gels.
abstract: The Pulsed Field Gradient Spin-Echo (PFG-SE) method was used to study the diffusional properties of water in guar galactomannan solutions and in highly methyl-esterified (HDE) pectin solutions and gels. The diffusion coefficient of water in the non-gelling galactomannan system was the same than that of pure water and independent on polymer concentration, despite of a strong increase in viscosity. In the two-component gelling system, pectin-sucrose, the diffusion coefficient of water was lower than in the pure state, and decreasing as a function of the concentration of both constituents. A normalized diffusion coefficient, Dgel/Dsuc, was defined to discriminate the effect of the gelation process on water diffusion, and it showed a clear dependence on the extent of network formation. Unrestricted diffusion was evidenced in all cases.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brosio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Ubaldo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Verzegnassi
mesh_terms: D004058:Diffusion; D005690:Galactose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008351:Mannans; D010368:Pectins; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008351:Mannans; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014867:Water; C012990:galactomannan; D010368:Pectins; D005690:Galactose