Gelation of tamarind seed polysaccharide xyloglucan in the presence of ethanol

Tamarind seed polysaccharide xyloglucan undergoes thermoreversible gelation in the presence of ethanol. Its gel-sol transition process was observed by time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering, and the results were analyzed by assuming two phases composed of random aggregates and of single chains. The analysis has revealed that the complete dissolution of aggegrates corre sponds to the gel-sol transition. Here the cross-linking domain seems to be composed of random aggregates and has no ordered structure: (C) 2000 Elsev ier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.