Retention of selected aroma compounds by polysaccharide solutions: A thermodynamic and kinetic approach

Partitioning and release of limonene and trans−2-hexenal from polysaccharide solutions was studied by applying static headspace gas chromatography. Experiments were carried out on xanthan/propylene glycol alginate and xanthan/gum arabic solutions at various concentrations. Changes in the polysaccharide matrix exhibited a considerable effect on the thermodynamic component as expressed by the air/liquid partition coefficient (Ka/l) values at equilibrium (37 °C). Viscosity increase was shown to affect the initial release rate, as this is defined by the amount of limonene and trans-2-hexenal released over the first few minutes of the experiments. The physicochemical properties of both aroma compounds, especially their hydrophobicity, were also of importance in air/liquid partition, with limonene to be mostly affected by polysaccharide addition.