Maximizing the oil content in polysaccharide-based emulsion gels for the development of tissue mimicking phantoms
Journal article, 2021

Formulations based on agar and κ-carrageenan were investigated for the production of emulsion gels applicable as tissue mimicking phantoms. The effects of the polysaccharide matrix, the oil content and the presence of surfactants on the micro-/nanostructure, rheology, and mechanical and dielectric properties were investigated. Results showed a high capacity of the agar to stabilize oil droplets, producing gels with smaller (10−21 μm) and more uniform oil droplets. The addition of surfactants allowed increasing the oil content and reduced the gel strength and stiffness down to 57 % and 34 %, respectively. The permittivity and conductivity of the gels were reduced by increasing the oil content, especially in the agar gels (18.8 and 0.05 S/m, respectively), producing materials with dielectric properties similar to those of low-water content tissues. These results evidence the suitability of these polysaccharides to design a variety of tissue mimicking phantoms with a broad range of mechanical and dielectric properties.

Gelation

Seaweed polysaccharides

X-ray scattering

Surfactant

Tissue mimicking

Author

Cynthia Fontes-Candia

CSIC - Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de los Alimentos (IATA)

Patricia Lopez-Sanchez

RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

Anna Ström

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Juan Carlos Martínez

ALBA Synchrotron Light Facility

Ana Salvador

CSIC - Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de los Alimentos (IATA)

Teresa Sanz

CSIC - Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de los Alimentos (IATA)

Hana Dobsicek Trefna

Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering

Amparo López-Rubio

CSIC - Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de los Alimentos (IATA)

Marta Martínez-Sanz

CSIC - Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de los Alimentos (IATA)

Carbohydrate Polymers

0144-8617 (ISSN)

Vol. 256 117496

Subject Categories

Polymer Chemistry

Food Engineering

Polymer Technologies

DOI

10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.117496

PubMed

33483023

More information

Latest update

3/1/2021 4