Research Progress in Thermo-reversible Polysaccharide Gels

Abstract:

Thermo-reversible gels are widely applied in the processing of baking, meat, and snack products including cakes, candies, jelly, aspic, and steamed custard buns. Currently, the most effective thermo-reversible gel is gelatin, which can combine with water to form a transparent gel that melts when it is close to the temperature of the human oral cavity. However, gelatin is expensive. Therefore, researchers have turned their attention to polysaccharide gels, hoping to obtain more thermo-reversible food raw materials with different properties. The author reviews thermo-reversible polysaccharide gels from natural sources such as plants, algae, and microorganisms and those modified by physical, chemical, and enzymatic methods and summarizes the sources, structures, gelatinization mechanisms, and product applications of polysaccharide gels. It is expected to provide a reference for developing new thermo-reversible polysaccharide raw materials and promoting the application of new thermo-reversible polysaccharide gels in the food industry.