On the bioprotective effectiveness of trehalose:: ultrasonic technique, Raman scattering and NMR investigations

The topic dealt in this article concerns with an experimental study, performed by means of ultrasonic techniques, Raman scattering and NMR, on aqueous solutions of alpha,alpha-trehalose, an effective bio-protector against dehydration and freezing. What emerges from this study is that the trehalose-water systems show a fragile character, namely a structural sensitivity to temperature and concentration changes. Further, the addition of trehalose to water gives rise to a destructuring effect on the tetrahedric hydrogen bond network of water, that originates low density conformations similar to that of supercooled water. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.