Abstract
The effects of micro-crystalline cellulose (MCC) on the gelatinization and retrogradation of cornstarch gel were studied by DSC, uniaxial compression and dynamic viscoelastic measurements. The total concentration of cornstarch and MCC was fixed at 15 wt%. The values for the fracture stress of cornstarch gel samples with MCC were less than those without MCC (control). The retrogradation rates for the gel samples with MCC were less than those for the control. These lower values were attributed to a decrease in the cornstarch concentration. Although MCC did not interact directly with cornstarch, the value for the elastic modulus of the gel samples with MCC was greater than that for the control. The rigid structure of MCC may have contributed to a strong network for a small deformation. Moreover, the elastic modulus of the gel samples with MCC was less temperature dependent than that of the control, the addition of MCC therefore making the gel more heat resistant.
