{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Structure and mechanical properties of anisotropic agar gels obtained via unidirectional freezing.
{Author}: De Henau R;de Vries A;Rousseau D;
{Journal}: Food Res Int
{Volume}: 191
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Sep
{Factor}: 7.425
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114626
{Abstract}: The controllable formation of anisotropic gel structures is presently sought for the development of foods with novel textures. Here, we used unidirectional freezing to generate agar gels consisting of a honeycomb-like porous network of elongated and aligned pores. A custom-built Peltier system allowed for control of the freezing front velocity throughout the agar gels. A higher freezing velocity (10 µm/s) led to smaller pore sizes compared to the slower freezing velocity tested (2 µm/s). Texture analysis highlighted the significantly higher Young's modulus in the gels when compressed in the axial vs. radial direction - a direct consequence of the unidirectional freezing. The proton spin-spin relaxation time revealed greater water mobility in the unidirectionally frozen gel with larger pores. This study serves as the basis for the development of anisotropic hydrocolloid gels with a tunable microstructure and texture.