BIOPHYSICS LETTER Study of the dynamical properties of water in disaccharide solutions S. Magazu ` Æ F. Migliardo Æ M. T. F. Telling Received: 21 June 2006 / Revised: 22 September 2006 / Accepted: 10 October 2006 / Published online: 16 November 2006 Ó EBSA 2006 Abstract This work presents quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) and neutron spin echo (NSE) findings on homologous disaccharide (i.e. trehalose, maltose and sucrose)/water solutions as a function of temperature. The dynamical properties of these systems are investigated by QENS, which, on the picosecond scale, allows for the characterisation of the diffusion of both solutes and solvent. On the other hand, NSE investigates the dynamics on the nanosecond scale, allowing for the relaxation times of the disaccharide/ water systems to be evaluated. The experimental data highlight a strong slowing down of water in the presence of disaccharides. The whole set of findings indicates, therefore, a noticeable disaccharide–water interaction, which is more intense in the case of trehalose. This feature can justify its higher bioprotective effectiveness. Introduction The bioprotective properties of trehalose have been recently subject of attention not only under the aspect of pure physical, biological and chemical research but also for the promising applicative implications (Crowe and Crowe 1984; Storey and Storey 1992; Wright et al. 1992; Chen et al. 2002; Guo et al. 2000; Zhang et al. 2003). Such a research moves from the observation that many organisms, such as, for example, locusts (Schistocerca gregaria), artemie saline (Brine shrimps), cryptobiontes (Phylum Tardigrada), bacteria (Escher- ichia coli) and plants (Myrothamnus flabellifolia), are able to synthesise trehalose for surviving under envi- ronmental stress conditions, such as dehydration and freezing. The disaccharide allows them to undergo in a cryptobiotic (‘‘hidden life’’) state and to re-activate the vital functions when the external conditions come back favourable to the life (Crowe and Crowe 1984; Storey and Storey 1992; Wright et al. 1992; Chen et al. 2002). Trehalose has very important applications in dif- ferent industrial fields, such as food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. Trehalose can be used as a new multi-functional ingredient with considerable potential for the industry. It can be used by product developers either to improve existing products or to create innovative new products. The mild sweetness, low cariogenicity, low hygroscopicity, high freezing- point depression, high glass transition temperature and protein protection properties are all of immense interest to food technologists (Murray et al. 2000; Oku and Nakamura 2000; Gleeson and Bishop 2000a, b). Trehalose is fully caloric, has no laxative effects and after ingestion is broken down in the body to glucose, but with an even blood glucose response, making it ideally suited for products formulated to provide sus- tained energy (Murray et al. 2000; Oku and Nakamura 2000; Gleeson and Bishop 2000a, b; Ivy 2001). Unlike other disaccharides, it will not readily hydrolyse to its component parts and subsequently take a part in Maillard reactions with amino acids and proteins. In S. Magazu `(&)  F. Migliardo Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita ` di Messina, P.O. Box 55, S.ta Sperone C.da Papardo, 98166 Messina, Italy e-mail: smagazu@unime.it M. T. F. Telling ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, UK 123 Eur Biophys J (2007) 36:163–171 DOI 10.1007/s00249-006-0108-0