Transport phenomena and anomalous glass-forming behaviour in alpha, alpha-trehalose aqueous solutions

The transport properties of aqueous solutions of the three disaccharides su crose, maltose and trehalose are investigated by viscosity and NMR measurem ents. The aim is to clarify the reasons that make trehalose the most effect ive in protecting organisms from dehydration and freezing. The study indica tes that, in comparison with the other disaccharides, trehalose, at high di lution, shows the highest fragility which decreases with the sugar concentr ation. These results imply a greater ability to conform to biological surfa ces and a higher effectiveness in packing and preserving bio-structures.