title: Microstructural characterization of starch systems by NMR relaxation and Q-space microscopy.
abstract: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation and q-space diffusion measurements have been used to probe the microscopic water distribution in a variety of starch-based systems, including packed beds of native starch granules with varying water contents, starch gels, and freeze-dried starch gels. The q-space data for the granular beds is compared with a variety of theoretical models and conforms best to unbounded diffusion in a lower dimensional space. In contrast to some earlier reports, the data for the gelatinized samples are not anomalous and conform to simple unrestricted diffusion in a three-dimensional space. The paper concludes with a novel method for probing pore size distribution in freeze-dried starch gels by infusion of acetone.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Research, Colney, Norwich, UK.
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Hills
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Godward
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Biechlin
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D005524:Food Technology; D005612:Freeze Drying; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008853:Microscopy; D016062:Porosity; D013213:Starch / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D014867:Water; D013213:Starch