Polysaccharide components affecting the ease of maceration of dried laver

Abstract

In order to clarify the factors involved in the dissolution of dried laver in the mouth, the relationships between the number of laver thalli layers or the polysaccharide content of dried laver and the number of chewing strokes measured with a tensipresser were investigated. The results identified no correlation between the number of laver thalli layers and the number of chewing strokes. Among the total polysaccharide components of dried laver, porphyran content was the highest, and a strong correlation with the number of chewing strokes was observed. Furthermore, the polysaccharide content of laver thalli and its dried laver showed a positive correlation for all polysaccharide components. These results strongly suggest that the porphyran content of laver thalli is involved in the dissolution of dried laver in the mouth.