Polymerization of Sugar by Extrusion

Glucose syrup and lactose, mixed with citric acid as a polymerizing catalyst, was processed using twin screw extruder, in which 40 of L/D(length/diameter) ratio was designed to provide sufficient retention in extruder for polymerization of sugars. The polymerization yields of glucose syrup were 36.90%, 55.44% and 77.10% at 160, 180 and 20$0^{\circ}C$, respectively, while those of lactose were 26.45%, 38.16% and 45.86% at the same temperatures. Gel permeation chromatography exhibited that the higher molecular weight fractions were increased with extrusion temperature, which also led to increasing hydrodynamic intrinsic viscosity. Both uco-oligosaccharides and lacto-oligosaccharides produced by extrusion of glucose syrup and lactose were stable for thermal treatments over a wide range of pH3.0~11.0. In addition, $\alpha$-amylase and amyloglucosidase treatment of gluco-oligosaccharides did not affect the solution viscosity, indicating the random linkage rather than $\alpha$-1, 4 linkages of glucose and thus the potential applications as a dietary fiber. In this research it was clearly observed that twin screw extrusion can be successfully utilized to produce gluco-oligosaccharides and lacto-oligosaccharides rapidly and continuously in conjunction with selective control of polymerized composition.