X-ray and IR spectroscopy investigations on trehalose morphological modification effects induced by mild milling treatments

The purpose of this study is to characterize the structural changes of crystalline trehalose induced by a mild milling treatment. In particular, the structural changes induced by a gentle mechanical treatment, by mortar and pestle, are investigated as a function of time by means of two different spectroscopic techniques, namely x-ray diffractometry and IR spectroscopy. The obtained results clearly show that mild milling treatment induces a transformation from the original crystal phase, as a function of time, following a sigmoid trend. These results show how trehalose can be effectively used in many biotechnologic applications where it is fundamental to find an equilibrium point between stability and bioavailability.