Anthocyanin-fortified konjac glucomannan/sodium alginate composite edible boba: characteristics of texture,microstructure, in vitro release behaviour and antioxidant capacity

Konjac glucomannan/sodium alginate composite edible boba (KGM/SA-boba) with good taste is very popular in China, and it is an outstanding carrier for health potential ingredients. In this work, KGM/SA-boba were fortified with 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00% purple sweet potato anthocyanin (PSPA), then characterised by the water distribution, texture, microstructure, in vitro release property of PSPA and antioxidant capacity. LF-NMR analysis demonstrated that the free water of KGM/SA-boba could transfer to tightly bound water with the addition of PSPA that made it with better water-binding ability, higher springiness and lower hardness. And the results of SEM and rheology showed that PSPA could stabilise the microstructure of KGM/SA-boba by forming more amorphous regions and hydrogen bonds proved by the results of DSC and FT-IR. Furthermore, 50% of PSPA in PSPA-fortified KGM/SA-boba can be released at the first hour in a simulated gastrointestinal environment. And the scavenging capacity of DPPH and ABTS of the PSPA-fortified KGM/SA-boba after digestion was higher than that of PSPA alone. Generally, PSPA could improve the texture while KGM/SA-boba in turn would make PSPA more stable in the gastrointestinal digestive system.     

A New Drying Approach to Enhance Quality of Konjac Glucomannan Extracted from Amorphophallus muelleri

A new drying approach to enhance physical quality of konjac glucomannan extracted from Amorphophallus muelleri was studied. It consisted of a comparison between microwave vacuum drying and conventional hot-air drying. The effects of microwave vacuum drying and hot-air drying on drying kinetics and physical and structural properties such as color, bulk density, particle density, porosity, viscosity, and morphology of konjac glucomannan (KGM) flour were investigated. It can be concluded that microwave vacuum drying significantly reduced drying time and increased porosity of dehydrated products which have a positive effect on the viscosity of the KGM solution. In contrast, it decreased bulk density and particle density when compared with conventional hot-air drying. Microstructure observations revealed the presence of large cavities in the granules of microwave-vacuum-dried KGM samples. However, there was a slight change in color of the microwave-vacuum-dried samples, resulting in a lower whiteness index than the whiteness index of hot-air-dried samples. Hence, microwave vacuum drying was found to have a number of advantages over the conventional hot-air drying method. Therefore, microwave vacuum drying has potential to become a useful drying method for the industrial production of KGM flour.     

Significant improvement for the functional properties of konjac glucomannan based on phase separation

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) serves as a stabiliser due to its high molecular weight and viscosity. However, these properties limit its addition in food products, especially in drinks. The main aim of this study was to improve the functional properties of KGM by a green and effective method, that is phase separation. It was found that increasing temperature accelerated phase separation of KGM/gum arabic mixture. KGM‐rich phase was characterised and its physical properties were investigated by different methods. Crystal property showed no significant changes after phase separation. Nevertheless, rheological properties indicated that the viscosities of samples after phase separation (FKGM) decreased dramatically. Their emulsifying capacities also improved. Moreover, the differences in molecular rearrangement at the oil–water interface were also studied by using interfacial rheology. These results suggested that FKGM with low viscosity had better interfacial properties, and thus may have potential applications as food ingredients.     

Influence of konjac flour on foaming properties of milk protein concentrate and quality characteristics of gluten‐free cookie

The effects of konjac flour (KF) for modifying the foaming properties of milk protein concentrate (MPC) and characteristics of gluten‐free rice cookies were investigated. The three variables of konjac concentration (0.1–0.4%), pH (pH 5–9) and NaCl concentration (0.2–0.6 м) were studied. Both KF and pH had considerable effects on the foaming capacity (FC) and foaming stability (FS) of MPC. The NaCl had a negligible effect. Lowered FC and FS observed at pH 9 and pH 5 were increased with the increase in KF addition. Batter characteristics (flowability and consistency), cookie quality (moisture, yield, spread ratio, specific volume, hardness and colour) and sensory acceptance were evaluated in gluten‐free cookies with 0%, 0.25% and 0.4% KF. Konjac supplementation increased batter characteristics, yield, specific volume and hardness, but decreased lightness. Panellist acceptance, especially regarding texture and overall acceptability, increased in gluten‐free cookies with 0.4% KF. A higher purchasing decision was found for cookies with added KF.     

Synergistic interaction of konjac glucomannan and gellan gum investigated by rheology and texture analysis

The rheological kinetics of konjac glucomannan and gellan gum mixed sols were studied using rotational concentric cylinder viscometer. The effects of polymers weight ratio, shear rate, and temperature were systematically investigated. The curves showed a Newtonian plateau followed by strong shear thinning that can be described by a power law dependence on the shear rate. The dynamic viscoelastic character was evaluated by measurements of small-deformation oscillatory. After adding some cations, the mixed sols turned into mixed gels. The contribution of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Zn²⁺ at different concentration was also evaluated by texture analysis. The results reveal a strong dependence of the structural properties of different samples on their preparation conditions. A fine turning of the properties of the mixed sols is possible through the change of the temperature preparation and/or the polymer weight ratio. The texture properties of the mixed gels were also possibly influenced significantly by the cations. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

魔芋超强吸水剂的合成及吸液性能研究

以过硫酸钾为引发剂,N,N＇-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺为交联剂,采用水溶液自由基聚合法,合成了魔芋粉-丙烯酸（钠）-丙烯酰胺超强吸水剂。采用均匀试验设计法对该合成工艺进行优化,最佳工艺条件为单体总用量（单体/魔芋粉）8.79 g·g-1、引发剂量（引发剂/魔芋粉）4.50%、反应温度66.7℃、交联剂量（交联剂/魔芋粉）1.42%、反应时间2.55 h、丙烯酸中和度81.74%、单体比例51.7%。产物吸水率为751.3 g·g-1,吸盐水率为128.6 g·g-1。     

Study on properties and aggregation structures of deacetylated konjac glucomannan/chitosan hydrochloride absorbent blend gel films

A series of novel blend films of deacetylated konjac glucomannan (d‐KGM) and Chitosan hydrochloride (CHI·HCl) were prepared successfully by using the solvent‐casting technique with different blending ratios of the two polymers. The miscibility and aggregation structure of the blend films were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the blend system of d‐KGM and CHI·HCl had a conditional miscibility. A new crystal occurred and hydrogen‐bonding interaction was strengthened when the CHI·HCl content in the blend films was 40%. The effects of deacetylation degree of KGM, acids (the solvent Chitosan dissolved in), temperature, and the mix ratio on the swelling behavior of the blend films were also studied. The blend film KC3 (CHI·HCl content in the blend films was 30%) had not only the highest equilibrium swelling degree (26 times) but also the highest tensile strength, and it could be regarded as a potential absorbent film material. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010