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Gelling Properties of Gellan Solutions Containing Monovalent and Divalent Cations |
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| Authors: | J TANG MA TUNG Y ZENG |
| Affiliation: | Author Tang is with the Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164-6120. Author Tung is with the Dept. of Food Science, Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1. Author Zeng is with the Information Technology Center, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164. |
| Abstract: | Gelling temperatures of gellan solutions with the addition of Na+ and K+ ranging from 15 to 450 mM or Ca++ and Mg++ from 2 to 40 mM were determined by dynamic rheological testing at four polymer concentrations between 0.4 and 2.0% (w/w). Gelling temperatures were much higher for gellan solutions containing divalent cations than for those containing the same amount of monovalent cations. Solutions containing K+ gelled at higher temperatures than those containing Na+. Effects of Ca++ and Mg++ on gelling temperatures were not significantly different. A general model was developed to predict the gelling temperature of gellan solutions as functions of cation and polymer concentrations. |
| Keywords: | gellan gels gelling temperature cations rheology bio-polymer |