Viscoelastic behavior of an agar—gelatin mixture gel as a function of its composition

The stress relaxation behavior of an agar—gelatin mixture gel was analyzed as a function of the stress relaxation behaviors of the component agar and gelatin gels. A six-element model composed of three components of the Maxwell mechanical model was applicable for each stress relaxation behavior. Except for the behavior of the shortest relaxation time, the three elastic moduli of the mixture gel, including the instantaneous elastic modulus, became predictable from the corresponding moduli of the agar and the gelatin gels, taking into account the concentration dependence and using a parallel-series combination model for the elasticity. The viscosities of the mixture gel were also predictable from the corresponding viscosities of the component agar and gelatin gels, except for the behavior of the shortest relaxation time.     

Viscoelastic Characterization of Surimi Gel: Effects of Setting and Starch

Rheological properties of Alaska pollock surimi gels were affected by setting and addition of corn starch. Setting increased (p < 0.05) both elastic and loss moduli of gel in the absence of starch. However, in the presence of corn starch, setting decreased (p < 0.05) the elastic and loss moduli of the gels. In stress relaxation, the residual forces increased from 37.1 Newton (N) (nonsetting) to 51.8N (setting) in the absence of starch. However, in the presence of starch, the residual force decreased from 49.1N (nonsetting) to 39.0N (setting) which indicated an antagonistic effect between corn starch and setting. A Maxwell model was useful to quantify relaxation behavior of surimi gel and to evaluate the effects of changes in processing conditions.     

EFFECT OF ALKALI METAL IONS ON THE RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF κ-CARRAGEENAN AND AGAROSE GELS

Stress relaxation and dynamic measurements were carried out on κ-carrageenan and agarose gels to examine the effect of alkali metal ions. The elastic modulus of κ-carrageenan gels increase remarkably by adding alkali metal ions Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cs⁺. This was explained as follows: the electrostatic repulsion of sulfate groups in κ-carrageenan gels are prevented by the shielding action of the alkali metal ions stabilizing the double helical structure of κ-carrageenan gels. The increase of the modulus was in the order: Cs⁺ > K⁺≫ Na⁺ > Li⁺. The difference between these two groups (Cs⁺, K⁺) and (Na⁺, Li⁺) is that the former group belongs to the structure disordering ions while the latter group belongs to the structure ordering ions. Thus, the former group prevents the repulsion of sulfate groups more directly than the latter. Agarose gel, which lacks sulfate groups, is not influenced so much by adding the alkali metal ions.     

VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF ALGINATE GELS BY OSCILLATORY DYNAMIC TESTS

The response of several mannuronic and guluronic alginate gels to oscillatory tests was studied by varying the alginate concentration (c) from 1.0 to 1.75% w/w. Frequency dependence of the complex shear modulus G* discriminated between the alginate gels in terms of their different orders of the relaxation function α and "gel stiffness" A_α values using Friedrich and Heymann theory (1988). Guluronic alginate gels were approximately 4-5 times stronger than mannuronic ones, their networks exhibiting higher or smaller rates of stress relaxation, respectively. For both alginate types the gel stiffness parameter A_α was found to be a power function of alginate concentration and type (intrinsic viscosity [η], GG block diad frequency, F_GG, and average G-block length, N_G), its sensitivity with respect to c and N_G being greater than that to [η] and F_GG.     

Viscoelastic Properties of Xanthan Gels Interacting with Cations

Viscoelastic properties of gels were greatly affected by xanthan gum concentration and types of cations. The storage moduli (G'), measured at 1.0 Hz, were 8.3, 10, and 2700 Pa for xanthan gels at 0.5% polymer concentration and 37, 42, and 13000 Pa for xanthan gels at 1.0% polymer concentration in the presence of Na⁺, Ca²⁺, or Fe³⁺, respectively. The elastic recovery was 27.9, 61.6, and 66.3% for 0.5% xanthan gels, and 38.5, 22.5, and 69.1% for 1.0% xanthan gels, in the presence of Na⁺, Ca²⁺, or Fe³⁺, respectively. The generalized Kelvin model simulated creep compliance and ferric ion was an excellent crosslinker for a rigid, firm gel.     

Changes in rheological and viscoelastic properties and protein breakdown during the ripening of 'Port Salut Argentino' cheese

Changes in the rheological behaviour and viscoelastic properties during ripening at 10°C of a soft cheese (Port Salut Argentino) packaged in a plastic film (EVA-EVA) were analysed. Casein degradation was measured by electrophoresis slab gels; α_s1 casein degradation was rapid and striking compared with that of β casein. Rheological parameters obtained from uniaxial compression tests changed during ripening: hardness decreased, adhesiveness and cohesiveness increased.
An exponential decay equation with two maxwellian elements and one elastic in parallel was fitted to characterize stress relaxation curves. Viscoelastic parameters (elastic moduli and relaxation times) were obtained using non-linear regression analysis. The elastic equilibrium modulus decreased 80% during the ripening period and the viscosity of the element with the highest relaxation time decreased 20%. These parameters represented the changes observed in cheese hardness and elasticity during ageing time and were related to the extent of casein breakdown.     

TEXTURAL PARAMETERS IN COMPRESSION TESTING OF A GEL MADE FROM FRESH AND FROZEN FISH MINCE

The relation between deformability modulus and yield stress is evaluated in compression testing of a model product made from fresh and frozen stored mince of cod. The experiments were performed with a compression rate of 120 mm/min. Preliminary experiments showed decreasing values of yield stress when compression rates were below 50 mm/min. Two moduli were calculated from the slope of the compression curve; α₁, initially (small deformations) and α₂ in a linear part of the curve shortly before rupture of the gel. α₂ was linearly related to yield stress in gels of different water content, and in gels made from fresh and frozen raw material. α₁ showed different relations to yield stress depending on quality of the raw material.     

SENSORY AND RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF K-CARRAGEENAN GELS MIXED WITH LOCUST BEAN GUM, TARA GUM OR GUAR GUM

Mixed gels of _K-carrageenan (C) and a galactomannan gum, viz., locust bean (L), tara (T), and guar (G) in ratios of 7:3 and 1:1 (total concentration 1%), were examined for their rheological properties and by a sensory evaluation. Texture, creep and rupture were measured, and the semantic differential method (SD) was employed. _K-Carrageenan alone could not form a gel at the concentration of 0.5%, while C-L and C-T but not C-G mixtures in the ratio of 1:1 formed gels. The mixed gels of C-L were hard, very elastic and not perceived as smooth by the sensory evaluation. The values for the gels comprising T were intermediate between the C-L and C-G gels in instrumental measurements and sensory characteristics, indicating that the C-T mixture performed well as an edible gel. This difference is attributed to the synergistic effect between _K-carrageenan and the gums.     

Rheological Changes During Gelation of High-Methoxyl Pectin/Fructose Dispersions: Effect of Temperature and Aging

Gels made with 0.5% and 1% pectin in 60% fructose, and a commercial sample exhibited macromolecular solution/weak gel behavior. Cooling the gels from 50–10°C increased storage (G') and loss moduli (G') of the gels. As the rate of cooling (10, 5.7, and 2.5°C/hr) a 1% pectin, 60% fructose, dispersion increased, the elasticity of the formed gel decreased; however, G' was not affected much by rate of cooling. During the first 24 hr, the changes in G'and G' were small. After 14 days storage at ambient temperature, G’values of gels increased substantially, while G' values increased slightly.     

Rheological behaviour of uncross-linked and cross-linked gelatinised waxy maize starch with pectin gels

Rheological characterisation of uncross-linked (UPS) and cross-linked (CPS) waxy maize starch with pectin was conducted to determine the influence of pectin on the properties of the starch. The viscoelastic behaviour of 5% (w/v) gel systems containing UPS and CPS polysaccharides at 25 °C was evaluated by small angle deformation oscillation rheometry. Viscoelasticity measurements of the cross-linked polysaccharides indicated that the elastic component increased after cross-linking. Among all gels studied, the properties of the CPS mixtures (ratios 2:3 and 3:2) showed quite high storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli (compared with gels of other ratios), indicating that gels of these two particular ratios had the greatest degree of elasticity and were very well structured. The results suggest that cross-linking between starch and pectin molecules can give rise to novel rheological properties.     

MODELING THERMAL SOFTENING KINETICS OF POTATOES USING FRACTIONAL CONVERSION OF RHEOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

Texture degradation in potatoes was investigated during heating of cylindrical test samples, 15 mm diameter and 30 mm long, in water at 60, 70, 80 and 90C by mechanical testing. The rheological parameters obtained from the axial and radial compression, creep and stress relaxation tests decreased exponentially with an increase in heating duration and temperature approaching steady levels corresponding to the remaining texture after prolonged heating. A single first-order kinetic model described the changes in various rheological parameters due to thermal softening of potatoes using fractional conversion technique indicating very high values of the coefficient of determination (R² > 0.97). In general, the visco-elastic test parameters were relatively more sensitive to texture degradation in potatoes in comparison with the quasi-static test parameters. Overall comparison showed that elasticity and viscosity parameters in Kelvin component of the 4-element model (E₂ and η₂) from creep tests and elasticity moduli from axial and radial compression tests (E_a and E_r) best presented the texture degradation kinetics in potatoes with R² ranging from 0.98 to 0.99.     

TEXTURE PROPERTIES OF GELLAN GELS AS AFFECTED BY TEMPERATURE

Gellan gels can be made very brittle, similar to agar gels, or very flexible, like gelatin gels. The entropy or enthalpy nature governing those gellan gel behaviors was studied by mechanical testing at temperatures varying from 2 to 62C. Both failure stress and strain for 1% low acyl and low acyl/high acyl mixed gellan gels decreased with increasing temperature, indicating that the hydrogen bonding contributed significantly to the stabilization of gellan gels in addition to the polyanion-calcium-polyanion bonding. Hydrophobic interactions were less important. The initial Young's modulus for two mixed high and low acyl gellan gels containing 2 mM Ca⁺⁺ increased with temperature from 2–42C, indicating entropy elasticity. Average molecular weight between adjacent crosslinks for these two mixed gels was larger than 10⁴. For other gels, the entropy elasticity was not a dominant mechanism for elastic force because of molecular weights between crosslinks and from the observation of negative temperature dependence of the modulus.     

INFLUENCE OF SALTS AND pH ON THE FIRMNESS OF COOKED SNAP BEANS IN RELATION TO THE PROPERTIES OF PECTIN

Solute conditions inside cooked bean pods were adjusted by soaking the pods in different solutions. Interactions of Ca⁺⁺ and Na⁺ showed increasing firmness as Ca⁺⁺ concentration was raised and decreasing firmness as Na⁺ was raised. Chelating agents removed Ca⁺⁺ and decreased firmness. Higher pH gave lower firmness except in the presence of excess Ca⁺⁺. The presence of Na⁺ decreased the effect of pH on firmness. Urea decreased firmness when pods had been previously treated with a chelator. The effects of treatments on firmness were related to the behavior of pectin solutions and gels.     

THE RHEOLOGY OF GELS

The following aspects of the rheological behavior of polysaccharide and protein gels are discussed with particular emphasis on recent investigations: (1) Viscoelasticity of gels; (2) Validity of rubber elasticity theory; (3) Rupture strength of gels; and (4) Single-point measurements of gel strength.
It is concluded that in contrast to most food materials gels show linear viscoelastic behavior up to strains of the order of 0.1. Results obtained from creep and stress relaxation experiments would suggest that noncovalent crosslinks in gels move or break when the gel is stressed. Activation energies associated with crosslink breakage have been estimated from the temperature dependence of viscoelastic parameters. For gelatin and polysaccharide gels energies ranging from 5–65 Kcals/mole have been reported.
The stiff and extended nature of polysaccharide chains make it unlikely that polysaccharide gels obey rubber elasticity theory, though it is possible that this theory holds for gelatin gels and also for ovalbumin gels in 6 M urea.
It is emphasized that the rupture strength of a gel is not necessarily related to its elastic modulus and therefore 'single point' measurements of 'gel strength' based on rupture tests will not always rank a series of gels in the same order as tests which involve small deformations without rupture. One of the reasons for this is that the elastic modulus and rupture strength depend in different ways on the primary molecular weight of the polymer from which the gel is formed.     

魔芋葡甘聚糖/表面脱乙酰甲壳素纳米纤维复合凝胶的制备及流变性能

研究魔芋葡甘聚糖（konjac glucomannan,KGM）与不同质量分数的表面脱乙酰甲壳素纳米纤维（surface deacetylated chitin nanofiber,S-ChNF）制成的复合凝胶的微观结构及性能变化。结果表明,KGM/S-ChNF复合凝胶均呈现剪切稀化现象,符合幂定律模型,是一种假塑性流体;且随着S-ChNF添加量的增加,凝胶的黏度增加,剪切应力降低,稠度系数由23.174 Pa·sn增大至29.950 Pa·sn,而流动指数则由0.436 63降低至0.413 08,表明其假塑性能提高。动态黏弹性分析表明,储能模量和损耗模量均表现出对角频率的依赖性,且随着S-ChNF添加量的增加,两者呈现上升趋势。此外,交叉点由6.77 s－1向低角频率方向移动至3.77 s－1,表明分子间氢键作用力增强,增大了KGM分子链移动的阻力,松弛时间变长,凝胶倾向于呈现弹性特征。傅里叶变换红外光谱、扫描电子显微镜及热重分析结果显示,随着S-ChNF含量的增加复合体系内分子间相互作用增强,形成具有稳定网络结构的体系,从而改善复合凝胶的流变性特并且提高了复合凝胶的热稳定性。     

Formation of Soy Protein Isolate Cold-set Gels: Protein and Salt Effects

ABSTRACT: The influence of protein and calcium concentration on soy protein cold-set gel formation and rheology has been investigated. Cold-set gels can be formed at soy protein concentrations from 6% to 9% and calcium concentrations from 10 to 20 mM. Gel properties can be modulated by changing the protein and/or CaCl₂ concentrations. An increase in CaCl₂ concentration from 10 to 20 mM increased gel opacity while an increase in protein concentration from 6% to 9% decreased opacity. Water-holding capacity improved with increasing protein concentration and decreasing CaCl₂ concentration. The elastic modulus (G') increased with protein and calcium chloride concentrations. Microscopy revealed an increase in the diameters of aggregates and pores as CaCl₂ concentration increased and as protein concentration decreased. Cold-set gels with a broad range of characteristics can be obtained from soy protein.     

Proteins Associated with Thermally Induced Gelation of Turkey Breast Meat

ABSTRACT:  Principal component analysis was performed on turkey breast muscle that originated from a pool of genetically distinct turkeys by separating the salt-soluble from the salt-insoluble proteins. The salt-soluble proteins (SSP) formed thermally induced meat gels and the viscoelastic properties of the gels were analyzed. The storage modulus (G') at 80 °C of thermally induced gels derived from the SSPs ranged from 3 to 400 Pa. Each protein fraction was analyzed using 5% to 20% sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Reverse stepwise regression analysis of the electrophoretic fingerprints of the protein fractions showed that G' at 80 °C was associated with the 2 protein bands from the salt-soluble fraction ( R ²= 0.87, P < 0.01) and 1 protein from the salt-insoluble fraction ( R ²= 0.27, P < 0.05). Primary sequence analysis identified one of the SSPs positively associated with G' at 80 °C as α-tropomyosin and the other SSP negatively associated with G' at 80 °C as pyruvate kinase. The salt-insoluble protein identified as triose phosphate isomerase was negatively associated with G' at 80 °C. These findings are unique in that they show that proteins other than myosin and actin participate in the mechanisms of forming thermally induced meat gels.     

STRESS RELAXATION BEHAVIOR OF MICROWAVE-VACUUM-DRIED ALGINATE GELS

Swelling of alginate polymer matrix in water involves a build up of network pressure due to an elastic extension of the polymeric matrix. When this network pressure undergoes relaxation by means of dehydration, shrinkage may take place. Three different types of wet alginate gels were prepared and dried using microwave‐vacuum‐drying technique. Dried alginate gel solids had a porous structure. To understand the stress relaxation behavior of alginate gel‐based porous solid structures, uniaxial compressive relaxation studies were performed at selected strain rates, preloads and relaxation times Experimental relaxation curves were normalized and fitted to an empirical relationship, and relaxation behavior was explained. Stress relaxation data were also fitted to another empirical model. All three types of gels had similar elastic components. At lower strain rate, all samples had more resistance to elastic deformation. Stress relaxation information of the dried gel was related to its microstructure. Type 2 gel had more stiffness than type 1 and type 3 gels. The mechanism involved in stress relaxation was entanglement coupling of larger polymer chains in covalently cross‐linked alginate gels.     

Elastic Modulus of Surimi Protein and Starch in Fish-Meat Gel with Added Starch Pregelatinized at 2 Temperatures

ABSTRACT: The influence of pregelatinized starch on fish-meat gel was studied quantitatively by separating elastic moduli of surimi, E_fm, and starch, E_s, in fish-meat gel using the equation of a rule of mixture, E_T= (1-φ)E_fm+φE_s, and the Halpin and Nielson equation. The total moduli, E_T, and volume fractions, φ, were obtained from compression tests and image analysis techniques. By using the equation of a rule of mixture, the moduli of surimi and starch in fish-meat gel could be separated. The fish-meat gel with starch pregelatinized at 60°C showed a higher moduli than at 90°C, and the moduli of surimi and starch in fish-meat gel at 60°C were increased with increasing starch content.     

TOMATO PERICARP TISSUE RESONANCE AND ITS USE IN TEXTURE EVALUATION

The use of resonance properties, measured by dynamic oscillation using a constant stress rheometer, as textural parameters for excised pericarp tissue of tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv Trust) fruit during 21 days of ambient temperature ripening was assessed relative to the large-deformation behavior measured by flat-plate compression. The resonance frequency (f_r) of excised tissue discs decreased significantly (P < 0.05) over the first 9–12 days, and then approached a relatively low and constant value with subsequent ripening. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in associated resonance strain amplitude (y_max) became apparent after the first 9–12 days of tomato fruit ripening. Ripening-associated changes in bioyield and failure strengths, toughness, and apparent elastic and failure deformability moduli derived from flat-plate compression tests were similar to those observed for tissue f_r. Results were consistent with a change in the dominant mode of tissue failure from cell relaxation and rupture to debonding after 9–12 days of fruit ripening. A significant (P < 0.05) semilogarithmic relationship was observed between f_r, but not y_max, and compression parameters, allowing for reasonable prediction of large-deformation behavior on the basis of measurement of only f_r. The results demonstrate that resonance frequency may provide a useful parameter in the evaluation of tomato pericarp tissue texture.