The use of two-dimensional NMR relaxometry in bread staling: a valuable tool?

- 1D and 2D 1H NMR were used to investigate bread staling.
- 1D 1H NMR indicated mono and multi exponential behaviours in T1 and T2 relaxation.
- 2D 1H NMR indicated the presence of multiple T1 protons pools.
- 2D T1-T2 maps were representative of physico-chemical changes during staling.

Staling of bread was investigated in terms of physico-chemical parameters and one (1D) and two dimensional (2D) 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry. Physico-chemical properties were consistent with those generally reported for bread staling (crumb moisture loss, decrease in frozen water content, formation of amylopectin crystals, crumb hardening). One dimensional 1H NMR investigation suggested the presence of only one T1 protons population, while T2 was representative of multiple proton populations, that well related to the observed physico-chemical changes. 1H Two dimensional NMR provided an interesting insight of 1H T1 dynamics, as it allowed to discriminate the contribution of five protons pools within the 1H T1 relaxation.