Potential Use of Mixed Gels from Konjac Glucomannan and Native Starch for Encapsulation and Delivery of Aroma Compounds: A Review

Mixed gels based on native starch and konjac glucomannan, and their potential to encapsulate aroma compounds, are reviewed. Starch and konjac glucomannan are two carbohydrates, abundant, low cost, soft taste, and used as food grade wall material. After an overview of konjac glucomannan, the structure of mixed gels of native starch and konjac glucomannan and their use for encapsulation and delivery of aroma compounds are described. The advantage of the addition of konjac glucomannan to starch gels is the increase of physical stability of the starch matrices upon storage, and consequently the increase of the shelf life of the product. The second advantage is that the molecular encapsulation of interest molecules by amylose is still possible in the presence of konjac glucomannan. Potato-starch-konjac glucomannan gels may have potential applications for the delivery of aroma compounds in hydrated gels and thus offer opportunities to develop new products.