Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Abstract

Ultrasonic Modification of Selected Polysaccharides-Review

Fredrick Onyango Ogutu, Tai-Hua Mu, Rizwan Elahi, Miao Zhang and Hong-Nan Sun

This review is a survey on ultrasonic application in selected carbohydrate polymers based upon available research reports. It covers a brief discussion on the fundamentals of ultrasound technology, before delving on the effects of ultrasound on specific polymers; pectin, chitin, starch, carrageenan and guar gum, their modification products and possible applications in food, pharmaceutical, biomedical and packaging sectors. Sonication generally leads to depolymerization and side chain break within molecules resulting into oligosugars. Oligosugars are widely used as prebiotics and specific delivery systems; moreover, nano sized products of sonication can be applied in diverse fields. Presently, ultrasonic is finding application in wider sectors therefore better understanding of the complex physico-chemical changes and mechanism of the action of high-intensity ultrasound and its effect on techno-functional properties of compounds would immensely fortify the application of ultrasonic technology.