Maltodextrin is a kind of intermediate product produced by hydrolysis or enzymolysis of starch, which belongs to polysaccharides, with the chemical formula (C₆H₁₀O₅)ₙ-xH₂O6. Its molecules are connected by α-(1→4) or α-(1→6) glycosidic bonds, and can be classified into white dextrin, yellow dextrin and maltodextrin, etc., with the appearance of white or yellow powder, with the characteristics of viscosity, water solubility (low molecular weight is soluble, high molecular weight needs hot water to dissolve, etc.), with the features of sticky, water soluble, high molecular weight needs hot water to dissolve. According to the degree of hydrolysis, it can be divided into white dextrin, yellow dextrin and maltodextrin, etc. The appearance is mostly white or yellow powder, with viscosity, water solubility (low molecular weight can be soluble, high molecular weight needs hot water to be dissolved) and other characteristics.
Main Applications
1. Pharmaceutical field
Excipient and filler: as the binder or filler of tablets and punch, it promotes the molding of drugs and improves the stability.
Functional excipients:
Coating and slow release: Reduce irritation and mask bad taste by coating drugs, and achieve slow release to prolong efficacy.
Solubilization and Absorption: Improve the solubility and bioavailability of insoluble drugs.
Stabilizer: Used in medicinal syrups and liquid pharmaceuticals to prevent separation or degradation of ingredients.
2. Food industry
Thickening and emulsification: enhance elasticity and toughness and improve taste in candy and pastry; used in beverage to stabilize foam.
Carrier and preservation: as the carrier of spices and coloring, or used in fruit coating to preserve freshness.
Nutritional adjustment: in baby food to assist in nutritional ratios, reduce nutritional loss during processing.
3. Industrial applications
Textile and paper making: as softener (textile) or fluorescent whitening agent (paper making).
Environmental protection: used in water treatment to adsorb and remove pollutants4.
4. Other fields
Household chemicals: As a stabilizer for cosmetics or as an ink thickeners.
Characteristics and Selection
Viscosity difference: white dextrin has a wide range of viscosity, yellow dextrin has high solubility and stable viscosity.
Safety: no obvious side effects under reasonable dosage, but diabetic patients need to control intake.
To summarize, dextrin has become an important raw material for medicine, food and industry due to its multifunctionality, and specific applications need to choose the right type according to viscosity, solubility and other characteristics.
