Almond gum contains an arabinogalactan-type polysaccharide, which plays an important role in defining its interfacial and rheological properties. In this study, rheological and interfacial properties of almond gum and gum arabic aqueous dispersions were comparatively investigated. The interfacial tension of almond gum and gum arabic aqueous dispersions was measured using the pendant drop method in hexadecane. The asymptotic interfacial tension values for almond gum were significantly lower than the corresponding values measured for gum arabic, especially at high concentration. Rheological properties were characterized by steady and oscillatory tests using a coaxial geometry. Almond gum flow curves exhibited a shear thinning non-Newtonian behavior with a tendency to a Newtonian plateau at low shear rate, while gum arabic flow curves exhibited such behavior only at high shear rate. The influence of temperature (5–50 ℃) on the flow curves was studied at 4% (m/m) gum concentration and the Newtonian viscosities at infinite and at zero shear rate, for gum arabic and almond gum, respectively, were accurately fitted by an Arrhenius-type equation. The dynamic properties of the two gum dispersions were also studied. Both gum dispersions exhibited viscoelastic properties, with the viscous component being predominant in a wider range of concentrations for almond gum, while for gum arabic the elastic component being higher than the elastic one especially at higher concentrations.
The rheological and interfacial tension properties of almond gum suggest that it may represent a possible substitute of gum arabic in different food applications.
Al-AssafSPhillipsGOAokiHSasakiY (2007) Characterization and properties of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. var. Senegal with enhanced properties (Acacia (sen) SUPER GUMTM): part 1-controlled maturation of Acacia senegal var. senegal to increase viscoelasticity, produce a hydrogel form and convert a poor into a good emulsifier. Food Hydrocolloids21: 319.
2.
AndersonDMW (1993) Some factors influencing the demand for gum arabic (Acacia senegal (L.) Willd) and other water-soluble tree exudates. Forest Ecology and Management58: 1–18.
3.
AndersonDMWDouglasDMBMorrisonNAWangWP (1990) Specifications for gum arabic (Acacia Senegal); analytical data for samples collected between 1904 and 1989. Food Additives and Contaminants7: 303.
4.
ChanamaiRMcClementsDJ (2002) Comparison of gum arabic, modified starch, and whey protein isolate as emulsifiers: Influence of pH, CaCl2 and temperature. Journal of Food Science67: 120.
5.
De PaulaRCMSantanaSARodriguesJF (2001) Composition and rheological properties of Albizia lebbeck gum exudate. Carbohydrate Polymers44: 133.
6.
DickinsonE (2003) Hydrocolloids at interfaces and the influence on the properties of dispersed systems. Food Hydrocolloids17: 25.
7.
DickinsonEMurrayBSStainsbyGAndersonDMW (1988) Surface activity and emulsifying behaviour of some Acacia gums. Food Hydrocolloids2: 477.
8.
DoiMEdwardsSF (1986) The Theory of Polymer Dynamics, Oxford: Clarendon Press.
9.
DonsìFSessaMFerrariG (2012) Effect of emulsifier type and disruption chamber geometry on the fabrication of food nanoemulsions by high pressure homogenization. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research51: 7606.
10.
Loveless D, Holtsclaw J, Saini R and Jeff Fleming PH. (2011). Fracturing fluid comprised of components sourced solely from the food industry provides superior proppant transport. Society of Petroleum Engineers. doi:10.2118/147206-MS.
11.
MahfoudhiNChouaibiMDonsìFFerrariGHamdiS (2012a) Chemical composition and functional properties of gum exudates from the trunk of the Almond (Prunus dulcis). Food Science and Technology International18: 241.
12.
MahfoudhiNChouaibiMHamdiS (2012b) Effectiveness of almond gum trees exudate as a novel edible coating for improving postharvest quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruits. Food Science and Technology International20(1): 33–43.
13.
MahfoudhiNSessaMChouaibiMFerrariGDonsiFHamdiS (2014) Assessment of emulsifying ability of almond gum in comparison with gum arabic using response surface methodology. Food Hydrocolloids37: 49.
14.
MarcotteMHoshahiliARTRamaswamyHS (2001) Rheological properties of selected hydrocolloids as a function of concentration and temperature. Food Research International34: 695.
15.
MarquesMRXavierfilhoJ (1991) Enzymatic and inhibitory activities of cashew tree gum exudates. Phytochemistry30: 1431.
16.
MaskanMGogusF (2000) Effect of sugar on the rheological properties of sunflower oil–water emulsions. Journal of Food Engineering43: 173.
17.
MohammadifarMAMusaviSMKiumarsiAWilliamsPA (2006) Solution properties of tragacanthin (water-soluble part of gum tragacanth exudates from Astragalus gossypinus). International Journal of Biological Macromolecules38: 31.
18.
MotheCGRaoMA (1999) Rheological behavior of aqueous dispersions of cashew gum and gum arabic: Effect of concentration and blending. Food Hydrocolloids13: 501.
19.
MullerHJHermelH (1994) On the relation between the molecular mass distribution of gelatin and its ability to stabilize emulsions. Colloid Polymer Science272: 433.
20.
MunozJRinconFAlfaroMCZapataIDe La FuenteJBeltranO (2007) Rheological properties and surface tension of Acacia tortuosa gum exudate aqueous dispersions. Carbohydrate Polymers70: 198.
21.
NilssonLBergenstahlB (2006) Adsorption of hydrophobically modified starch at oil/water interfaces during emulsification. Langmuir22: 8770–8776.
22.
NussinovitchA (1997) Hydrocolloid Applications. Gum Technology in the Food and Other Industries, London: Blackie Academic & Professional/Chapman & Hall, pp. 190–240.
23.
PadalaSRWilliamsPAPhillipsGO (2009) Adsorption of gum Arabic, egg white protein, and their mixtures at the oil-water interface in limonene oil-in-water emulsions. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry57: 4964.
24.
Pérez-MosquedaLMRamírezPAlfaroMCRincónFMuñozJ (2013) Surface properties and bulk rheology of Sterculia apetala gum exudates dispersions. Food Hydrocolloids32(2): 440–446.
25.
RandallRCPhillipsGOWilliamsPA (1989) Fractionation and characterization of gum from Acacia Senegal. Food Hydrocolloids3: 65.
26.
RaoMA (1999) Rheology of Fluid and Semisolid Foods: Principles and Applications, Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers.
27.
RayAKBirdPBIacobucciGAClarkBC (1995) Functionality of gum arabic. Fractionation, characterization and evaluation of gum fractions in citrus oil emulsions and model beverages. Food Hydrocolloids9: 123.
28.
RenardDLavenant-GourgeonLRaletMCSanchezC (2006) Acacia senegal gum: Continuum of molecular species differing by their protein to sugar ratio, molecular weight, and charges. Biomacromolecules7: 2637.
SanchezCRenardDRobertPSchmittCLefebvreJ (2002) Structure and rheological properties of Acacia gum dispersions. Food Hydrocolloids16: 257.
31.
SciariniLSMaldonadoFRibottaPDPerezGTLeonAE (2009) Chemical composition and functional properties of Gleditsia triacanthos gum. Food Hydrocolloids23: 306.
32.
ShiTFZieglerVEWelgeICAnLJWolfBA (2004) Evolution of the interfacial tension between polydisperse “immiscible” polymers in the absence and in the presence of a compatibilizer. Macromolecules37: 1591.
33.
SiskoAW (1958) Flow of lubricating greases. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry50: 1789.
34.
Tabilo-MunizagaGBarbosa-CanovasGV (2005) Rheology in the food industry. Journal of Food Engineering67: 147.
35.
TaherianARFustierPRamaswamyHS (2007) Effects of added weighting agent and xanthan gum on stability and rheological properties of beverage cloud emulsions formulated using modified starch. Journal of Food Process Engineering30: 204.
36.
TanCT (2004) Beverage emulsions. In: FribergSLarssonKSjoblomJ (eds) Food Emulsions, New York: Marcel Dekker, pp. 2–6.
37.
ThevenetF (1988) Acacia gums. In: RischSJReinecciusGA (eds) Flavor Encapsulation, Washington: American Chemical Society, pp. 37–44.
38.
WalstraP (2003) Physical Chemistry of Food, New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.
39.
WhistlerRLBemillerJN (1993) Industrial Gums: Polysaccharides and Their Derivatives, London: Academic Press, Inc.
