Abstract
Agar has widely been used as medical aids and food ingredients due to its pecular physicochemical and rheological properties. In this paper, the effects of spray drying and extrusion drying on functional properties of agar were investigated to clarify the sol-gel transition mechanism at low temperature and microstructure of agar gel by measuring phase transition by differential scanning calorimetery, structural differences by light microscope and scanning electron microscope observation. The lowest endothermic onset(To), peak(Tp), conclusion(Tc) temperature and enthalpy($\Delta$H) using differential scanning calorimetery were showed in extrusion-dried agar wic were checked in 41.30, 61.72, 80.50 and 0.73cal/g. In cases of unmodified and spray-dried, the values were 81.20, 95.51, 112.14 and 3.22cal/g, and 60.11, 76.45, 89.54 and 1.53cal/g, respectively. When all samples were reheated using differential scanning calorimetery after gelling fully, no significant differences of endothermic To, Tp, Tc and $\Delta$H appeared. The surface structure of unmodified agar powder observed by light microscope and scanning electron microscope appeared a continuous surface without any indication of small pores, gaps or point of discontinuity. In cases of spray-dried agar, the unstable structures with pores was resulted. The microstructures of extrusion-dried agar, however, was solid with large gaps and areas of discontinuity in the surface. From the results above, it was suggested that significant differences in phase transition and surface microstructures were clearly related to the physicochemical changes and rheological properties, solubility and gelling ability of the types of agar gel.
식품산업을 포함한 다양한 분야에서 이용되고 있는 한천의 용도를 개발하기 위하여 각종 물리적인 처리가 한천의 열적 특성에 미치는 영향과 각 처리에 다른 표면구조의 변화를 조사하였다. 시차주사 열량분석기를 이용하여 w사한 일반한천의 흡열개시온도(To), 최대흡열점의 온도(Tp) 및 흡열완료온도(Te)는 81.20, 95.51 및 $112.14^{\circ}C$였으며, 분무건조한천은 60.11, 76.45 및 $89.54^{\circ}C$였고, 압출성형한천은 41.30, 61.72 및 $80.50^{\circ}C$로 압출성형한천이 가장 낮은 온도에서 진행되었다. 또한 엔탈피도 일반한천 3.22cal/g, 분무\ulcorner한천 1.53cal/g, 압출성형한천 0.73cal/g의 순서로 압출성형한천에서 가장 낮았다. 완전히 가열용해한 각 한천을 다시 냉각, 응고 후에 다시 승온하였을 때의 To, Tp 및 Te는 일반한천 80.70, 95.61 및 $110.92^{\circ}C$, 붐무건조한천 79.54, 93.76 및 $109.84^{\circ}C$, 압출성형한천 79.25, 93.19 및 $108.77^{\circ}C$로 한천의 종류에 따른 차이는 없었다. 엔탈피 역시 큰 차이를 보이지 않았다. 광학현미경과 주사전자현미경에 의해 표면구조를 관찰한 결과, 일반한천의 경우 단단한 구조로 균열이나 기공들이 관찰되지 않았고, 분무건조한천은 많은 미세입자들이 다량으로 느슨하게 붙어있는 다공질구조로 외부에 노출되는 표면적이 넓었으며, 압출성형한천은 굴곡, 요철 및 균열이 생겨서 수분침투가 용이한 구조를 이루고 있었다.
