Application of high‐pressure homogenization on gums

High‐pressure homogenization (HPH) is an emerging process during which a fluid product is pumped by pressure intensifiers, forcing it to flow through a narrow gap, usually measured in the order of micrometers. Gums are polysaccharides from vegetal, animal or microbial origin and are widely employed in food and chemical industries as thickeners, stabilizers, gelling agents and emulsifiers. The choice of a specific gum depends on its application and purpose because each form of gum has particular values with respect to viscosity, intrinsic viscosity, stability, and emulsifying and gelling properties, with these parameters being determined by its structure. HPH is able to alter those properties positively by inducing changes in the original polymer, allowing for new applications and improvements with respect to the technical properties of gums. This review highlights the most important advances when this process is applied to change polysaccharides from distinct sources and molecular structures, as well as the future challenges that remain. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Rheological behaviour of tamarind seed gum in aqueous solutions

Tamarind seed gum as seed polysaccharide from Tamarindus indica L. has been characterized for physicochemical and rheological properties in the present work. The structural analysis determined the presence of glucose:xylose:galactose in a molar ratio of 2.61:1.43:1.The Huggins and Kraemer plots obtained by capillary viscometry gave an intrinsic viscosity of 4.7 dl g⁻¹ and the viscosity average molecular mass was calculated to be 9.18 × 10⁵ g mol⁻¹ using the Mark-Houwink relationship. The steady shear and dynamic viscoelasticity properties of tamarind seed gum in aqueous solutions at different concentrations were investigated at 20 °C using a Haake Rheometer RS75. The tamarind seed gum solutions clearly exhibited shear-thinning flow behaviour at high shear rate and Newtonian region occurred at low shear rate range, however, at higher concentrations, pronounced shear thinning was observed. The value of zero shear viscosity (η₀) was estimated by fitting Cross and Carreau models. The specific viscosity at zero shear rate (η_sp0) was plotted against the coil overlap parameter (C[η]) and the slopes of the lines in the dilute and semi-dilute regions were found to be ∼2.2 and 4.3, respectively. The value of the critical concentration (C^∗) was about 4.23/[η]. While, the mechanical spectra in the linear viscoelastic region of tamarind seed gum solutions showed the typical shape for macromolecular solutions. Plots of η versus γ and η^∗ versus ω were superimposable and hence obey the Cox-Merz rule.     

Characteristics and quality of gum arabic from naturally grown Acacia senegal (Linne) Willd. trees in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Drylands of Ethiopia, including those in the Rift Valley, host good potential for commercial production of natural gums such as gum arabic. However, little researches have assessed the qualities of these gums for their commercial and industrial promotions. The objectives of this study were to assess the (i) quality of gum arabic collected from naturally grown Acacia senegal trees in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia and (ii) evaluate these quality characteristics against reported quality attributes of the same kind of gum from known destinations such as the Sudan and with international specifications. Gum samples were collected from randomly identified 10 trees of A. senegal in the study area and composited into one big sample by putting all in one plastic bag. The characteristics analyzed included: color, odor, moisture content, ash content, viscosity, pH, specific rotation, N and tannin contents, and concentration of several metals using standard laboratory procedures. The results yielded moisture content of 15%, ash content of 3.56%, intrinsic viscosity of 1.19 ml g⁻¹, pH on 25% solution of 4.04, specific rotation of −32.5, nitrogen content of 0.35%, protein content of 2.31% and with no tannin content. Mineral contents of the gum arabic (g/100 g) are Ca 0.7, Mg 0.2, Na 0.01, K 0.95, Fe 0.001, P 0.6 and non-detectable traces of Pb, Co, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd, Cr and Mn. These values agree well with values of same quality characteristics of gum arabic reported from Sudan and other exporting countries, and also conform well to international standards in all aspects. Indeed, it is possible to utilize the gum arabic resource of the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia for commercial and/or industrial purposes.     

In vitro binding of calcium,iron and zinc by non-starch polysaccharides

The in vitro binding capacity of eight non-starch polysaccharides (agar, κ-carrageenan, gum xanthan, gum arabic, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, pectin and gum guar) was measured by equilibrium dialysis in neutral and acidic (0.1M HCl) solutions in the presence of divalent cations (Ca²⁺, Zn²⁺). No significant binding was observed in acidic conditions while, in neutral solutions, the extent of binding was correlated (P<0.1) to the cation-exchange capacity of the polysaccharides. It is apparent that the interactions are essentially electrostatic in nature, due to the presence of ionised carboxyl (uronic/pyruvic acids) and sulphated groups, in polyanionic polysaccharides. By contrast, significant binding occurs with Fe³⁺ in acidic conditions, presumably due to complexation (chelation). These data provide a clear insight into how non-starch polysaccharides interact with minerals and the potential nutritional consequence in terms of bioavailability.     

The influence of hydrocolloid hydrodynamics on lubrication

The influence of hydrocolloid structure on lubrication is investigated using a rheological and tribological study of four polysaccharides that vary in chain expansion from random coil to extended chain and rigid-rod.We show that the conformation that a polysaccharide has in an aqueous solution strongly influences the ability of that fluid to be entrained during lubrication. This is important for the food industry since polysaccharides are typically used to impart thickness, stability and texture to soft-solid and liquid based food products without consideration of their structurally attributable tribological response.Friction coefficients (μ) of random coil solutions in a boundary regime of lubrication significantly increase throughout the concentration range 0.02-0.21 wt%, from 0.19 to 0.28. Rigid-rod and extended-coil polysaccharides, however, reduce boundary μ with an increase in their concentration.In a mixed regime of lubrication, μ decreases linearly with concentration (C) of extended-coil polysaccharide, despite the concentration range passing its C∗ (coil overlap concentration) value. Mixed regime μ vs. C plots of random coil solutions, however, reveal tribologically critical concentrations (C_T∗), where C_T∗ ∼ C∗. At C > C_T∗ the dependence of μ on C reduces, despite pronounced bulk viscosity increases after C∗.     

Fractionation and physicochemical characterization of peach gum polysaccharides

One kind of Chinese peach gum was fractionated by different solvent extraction (water followed by alkaline solutions). Chemical analysis showed peach gum polysaccharides were acidic arabinogalactans, mainly composed of arabinose (∼50%), galactose (∼37%) and uronic acid (13–14%), with the molecular weight of ∼4.60 × 10⁶ g/mol according to high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) analysis. Peach gum solution exhibited typical shear thinning flow behavior properties, K (consistency index) values increased while n (flow index) values decreased with the increasing of concentration. Dynamic sweep tests showed that moduli of peach gum solutions were highly dependent on frequency, concentration and temperature. Water extractable fraction was able to form gel network when concentration was higher than 4%. Alkaline extracted peach gum gave weaker rheological responses, such as lower viscosity at same concentration when compared to the water extractable fraction. Two alkaline extractable fractions exhibited similar intrinsic viscosities of 21.18 dl/g (0.1 M NaOH extractable, AE01) and 21.76 dl/g (0.5 M NaOH extractable, AE05), respectively, while water extractable fraction (WE) formed aggregate in water at low concentration. All fractions extracted from peach gum exudates showed better emulsion capacity and stability than gum arabic and fenugreek, which could be used in food industry to replace or partially replace gum arabic.     

Comparison of molecular and emulsifying properties of gum arabic and mesquite gum using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation

The molecular and emulsifying properties of gum arabic (GA) and mesquite gum (MG) were characterized using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation connected to multi-angle light scattering and refractive index detection. Properties such as molar mass, root-mean-square radius (r_rms), hydrodynamic radius (r_h), conformation, apparent densities and distribution of proteinaceous matter over the whole molar mass range were determined. GA displayed a low molar mass (3.4 × 10⁵ g/mol), protein-poor component (population 1) and a high molar mass (1.9 × 10⁶ g/mol), protein-rich component (population 2). MG displayed one molar mass population with an average molar mass of 1.1 × 10⁶ g/mol. For both GA and MG, the conformation (r_rms/r_h) was increasingly spherical with increasing molar mass. However, MG had higher values of r_rms/r_h for a specific molar mass suggesting differences in structure between GA and MG. The protein content increased with increasing molar mass for both gums, although to a higher extent for GA. Selective adsorption, during emulsification experiments, could be observed of population 2 of GA which may be due to a combination of the higher protein content and a more flexible structure rendering it more surface active than population 1. Comparing GA and MG in terms of emulsion stability, it could be concluded that GA-stabilized emulsions have considerably higher stability against coalescence.     

Temperature-dependent complexation between sodium caseinate and gum arabic

Complex formation between sodium caseinate and gum arabic as a function of temperature was investigated using dynamic light scattering, fluorescence and NMR. At neutral pH, the turbidity and the particle size increased when sodium caseinate and gum arabic mixtures were heated in situ at temperatures above a critical temperature. The increases in turbidity and particle size were reversible. This effect was considered to be due to hydrophobic interactions, leading to the formation of a complex between sodium caseinate and gum arabic. ¹H NMR spectroscopy showed that ANS, which bound to caseinate at low temperatures in caseinate solution or a caseinate-gum arabic mixture, was released at high temperatures upon formation of a caseinate or caseinate-gum arabic complex. This supported changes observed in the fluorescence of 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate upon binding to caseinate, which decreased at high temperatures for caseinate alone or when sodium caseinate was mixed with gum arabic. Light-scattering (turbidity) and dynamic light-scattering studies show that the temperature-dependent complexation between sodium caseinate and gum arabic was sensitive to the mass ratio of protein to gum arabic (greater complexation at a 1:5 ratio than a 1:1 ratio) and the pH (maximum complexation at pH 6.5).     

Effect of high pressure homogenization (HPH) on the rheological properties of a fruit juice serum model

High pressure homogenization (HPH) is a non-thermal technology that has been widely studied as a partial or total substitute for thermal food processing. The present work evaluated the effect of HPH on the rheological properties of a fruit juice serum model, designed to be similar to tomato juice serum. Product viscosity decreased due to the increase in homogenization pressure, and could be modelled well using two functions (power-sigmoidal and exponential; R² > 0.98). The serum model processed at 200 MPa showed a viscosity decrease of 20% when compared to the original. Since fruit juice rheology is defined by the interactions occurring between the dispersed phase (suspended particles) and the solution (serum), the expected fruit juice behaviour was then discussed.     

Rheological behavior of aqueous dispersions of cashew gum and gum arabic: effect of concentration and blending

Rheological properties of cashew gum (CG) and gum arabic (AR), the exudate polysaccharides from Anacardium occidentale L. and Acacia, at different solutions (0.4–50% w/v) were studied. The intrinsic viscosity, [η], of CG in water at 20°C was ≈0.1 dl g⁻¹, while that of AR was ≈0.6 dl g⁻¹. The apparent viscosity of the unheated and the heated (at 80°C for 30 min) CG and AR solutions showed a progressive increase with increasing concentration. The flow curves of blends with equal viscosity solutions of AR/CG: 25/75, 50/50 and 75/25, showed no major interaction. The apparent viscosity (η_a) vs. shear rate data for both the AR and CG dispersions (4–50% w/v) exhibited shear-thinning characteristics at low shear rates (< about 10 s⁻¹) and Newtonian plateaus at shear rates >100 s⁻¹, and the Sisko model described well the η_a vs. data of all the dispersions.     

Performance of palm olein in repeated deep frying and controlled heating processes

The stability of refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD) palm olein was studied under both repeated frying and controlled heating conditions. Two different frying foods i.e. chicken nuggets and French fries were used to evaluate the oil performance under various frying conditions. Thermo-oxidative alterations were measured through various physical and chemical parameters. Total polar compounds (TPC), polymeric triglycerides (PTG), blueness (b^∗ value), chroma (C^∗ value), refractive index and viscosity increased linearly with the number of frying/heating cycles. Palmitic acid content increased and linoleic acid content decreased linearly with the number of frying cycles. No significant changes in oleic acid were detected. Thermo-oxidative reactions induced under the heating conditions were found to be faster as compared to those under the frying conditions. The PTG formed at the end of heating cycles (16.42%) were substantially higher as compared to those formed at the end of frying French fries (9.72%) and chicken nuggets (5.34%).     

Influence of polysaccharides and storage during processing on the properties of mango seed kernel extract (microencapsulation)

Extracts from mango (Mangifera indica Linn.) cultivar Chok–Anan seed kernels were studied as active substances, since they are known as a good source of phenolic antioxidants with metal chelating and tyrosinase inhibitory activities. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the effect of a combination of polysaccharides selected from gum arabic, maltodextrin and alginate on droplet size distribution, encapsulation efficiency (EE), stability and viscosity of W/O/W emulsions. In addition, the effects of stored emulsion on the properties of the encapsulated powder were studied. The results showed that there were interactions between polysaccharides which affected droplet size distribution, stability, viscosity and EE of multiple emulsions. The RSM showed a good fit to the proposed model with R² > 0.83, 0.79 and 0.69 for viscosity, stability and EE, respectively, with significant correlations (p < 0.05). The formulation which gave an optimal coating material was also a suitable coating mixture for preparation of encapsulated mango seed kernel extract powder. Moreover, if the polysaccharide combination is not appropriate for coating, the storage after emulsion preparation will have a greater effect on the properties of the encapsulated emulsion and powder.     

Rheological characterization of dispersions and emulsions used in the preparation of microcapsules obtained by interfacial polymerization containing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus</Emphasis> sp.

The main objectives of this work were the rheological characterization of dispersions and emulsions used in the microcapsules preparation and the microcapsules obtain from gum arabic (A), gellan gum (G) and mesquite seed gum (M) to keep lactic bacteria (Lactobacillus sp.) viable using the interfacial polymerization technique (IP). Dispersions of A, G and M were prepared to obtain microcapsules, as well as binary mixtures of gum arabic and gellan gum (AG), gum arabic and mesquite seed gum (AM) and gellan gum and mesquite seed gum (GM); these dispersions exhibited a shear thinning non-Newtonian behavior. The emulsions were prepared using sunflower oil as the oily phase in a 1:1, 1:3 and 1:5 ratio with the disperse phase; the oily phase was added with Span 85 (surfactant) at 1, 2 and 3% concentrations; the emulsions A (1:5 and 3% Span 85) and GM (1:5 and 2% Span 85) showed higher viscosity and stability. Microcapsules were obtained using 0.05 mol L⁻¹ glutaraldehyde (crosslinking agent) with a reaction time of 3 min. The mean diameter of the microcapsules obtained was 30.17, 16.86 and 10.34 μm according to the AG, AM and GM mixtures, respectively. In the AG and AM dispersions, the microcapsules diameters became larger as the viscosity increased. The microorganism microencapsulates using gum arabic, gellan gum, and mesquite seed gum, was possible. The highest viability (46.7%) of Lactobacillus sp. was obtained with the GM mixture.     

Effect of hydrocolloids on the rheological, microscopic, mass transfer characteristics during frying and quality characteristics of puri

Effect of hydrocolloids such as guar gum (GG), arabic gum (AG), carrageenan (CG), locust bean gum (LBG), xanthan gum (XN), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) at 0.5% w/w level on rheological and quality parameters of puri from whole wheat flour was studied. Hydrocolloids like CMC, XN and HPMC increased the water absorption of puri dough, while it decreased in all other samples. The dough development time and mixing tolerance index values increased, while dough stability did not get affected. On addition of hydrocolloid, there was a reduction in the pasting temperature, while the peak viscosity, hot paste viscosity and cold paste viscosity values increased. Hardness, cohesiveness and adhesiveness properties of the puri dough increased with the addition of hydrocolloids. All the hydrocolloids used in general helped in retention of moisture in the puri and hence remained softer and pliable, while there was a significant reduction in the oil content of puri samples containing hydrocolloids. Among the different hydrocolloids used, addition of guar gum at 0.5% w/w level led to puris having improved quality characteristics to a greater extent with respect to moisture retention, lowering of oil content upon frying with softer and pliable texture and better keeping quality. The mass transfer studies confirmed that the mass transfer co-efficient values for moisture loss and oil uptake were lower in puris with guar gum than control.     

Study of xanthan gum/waxy corn starch interaction in solution by viscometry

The objective of the study was to investigate the molecular interactions of xanthan gum and waxy corn starch in a ternary system. Solutions of xanthan gum/(waxy corn starch) blends dissolved in a mixed solvent of 90% DMSO/10% H₂O (v/v) were studied by means of viscometry as a function of total polymer concentration and composition. The classical Huggins equation, η_sp/C=[η]+bC, which expresses the specific viscosity (η_sp) of a polymer as a function of the concentration C, was found to be suitable for all blends in the dilute system. The intrinsic viscosity ([η]) and Huggins parameter b of the blends increased with the increase of xanthan fraction in the blends. Meanwhile, the addition of xanthan gum also dramatically lowered the overlap concentration (C*) of the blends. The results indicate that xanthan gum is a good thickener, and xanthan gum and waxy corn starch are attracted to each other in the solution under study.     

高压均质协同高酰基结冷胶对青椒蛋蔬液流变特性及稳定性的影响

研究高压均质（high pressure homogenization,HPH）协同高酰基结冷胶（high acyl gellan gum,HA）处理对青椒蛋蔬液（liquid egg with green pepper juice,LEGP）稳定系数、持水力、流变特性、粒径及电位的影响,进而探讨HPH协同HA对LEGP流变特性及稳定性的影响。结果表明：HPH处理可以明显提高LEGP的稳定系数、持水力、屈服应力、表观黏度和ζ-电位绝对值,并减小体系粒径,说明HPH处理可以有效提高LEGP体系稳定性。与HPH相比,HPH协同HA处理可以进一步提高LEGP的稳定系数、持水力、屈服应力、表观黏度和ζ-电位绝对值,使体系粒径进一步减小且分布更均匀,表明HPH协同HA处理可以更好地提高LEGP体系稳定性;其中,均质压力为150 MPa时,LEGP的稳定系数和持水力达到最大。流变实验结果表明HPH处理或HPH协同HA处理样品的流变模型均符合Herschel-Buckley模型,且其流体为带屈服值的假塑性流体,其中,HPH协同HA处理均质压力为150 MPa时,LEGP的屈服应力、表观黏度和弹性模量最高,流体的假塑性最强,体系粒径最小,ζ-电位绝对值最大,LEGP表现出最高的稳定性。     

Effect of high-hydrostatic pressure and pH on the rheological properties of gum arabic

The effect on the viscoelastic behaviour, of pressure-treating hydrated gum arabic samples (800 MPa) at different pH values (2.8, 4.2 and 8.0) was investigated, using controlled stress rheometry. The treated samples were analysed for their complex (G∗), storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli as a function of frequency, using dynamic oscillatory testing. Significant changes in the rheological properties were observed in both the pressurised gum solutions and in those previously buffered at pH 2.8. The gum, at its natural pH (4.25) and at alkaline pH (8.0), was enhanced by pressure treatment, but only for the already “good” quality gum samples. High-pressure treatment had substantial effects on the frequency-dependence of the moduli of both the pressurised and the pressurised/pH-treated solutions, with the latter being more pronounced, suggesting differing structures or changes in the overall degree of interaction of the gum systems after pressure treatment.     

Classification and physicochemical characterization of mesquite gum (Prosopis spp.)

Under environmental stress conditions, mesquite trees can excrete a proteinaceous arabinogalactan gum that is similar to gum arabic. Given the application potential of this type of gums a classification procedure for the mesquite gum is proposed. The main physicochemical properties of the best-quality mesquite gum were determined and compared with those of gum arabic. Additionally, the composition and molecular changes induced by purification processes were recorded. One batch (157 kg) of mesquite gum was categorized by subjective assessment into three classes (MGA, MGB and MGC) from high- to low-quality. Approximately 17.5% was classified as top-quality gum. It was found that this class of mesquite gum has lower humidity, inorganic and tannins content than the other classes, or even than the gum arabic sample used as a reference. All of the mesquite gum classes have higher protein content and lower intrinsic viscosity than gum arabic. The purification processes were shown to reduce the content of lower molecular weight compounds that modify the interface properties of the gum. The results indicate that the proposed classification method can be used to select mesquite gum with physicochemical properties comparable to those of commercial gum arabic.