Physicochemical study of mixed systems composed by bovine caseinate and the galactomannan from Gleditsia amorphoides

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 173; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: López, Débora N., Galante, Micaela, Alvarez, Estela M., Risso, Patricia H., Boeris, Valeria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2017
• Subjects: Biopolymer interaction; Espina corona gum; Food systems; Sodium caseinate; Espina corona gum; Sodium caseinate; Food systems; Biopolymer interaction
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.05.044

•Espina corona gum (ECG)–sodium caseinate (NaCAS) mixed systems were studied.•ECG increased the surface hydrophobicity of NaCAS without effect on ζ-potential.•ECG–NaCAS concentrated mixtures exhibited segregative phase separation.•ECG increased the viscosity without affecting the flow behaviour of NaCAS solutions.•ECG induced aggregation of NaCAS particles due to depletion flocculation effects.
Model systems formed by sodium caseinate (NaCAS) and espina corona gum (ECG) were studied. There was no evidence of attractive interactions between NaCAS and ECG macromolecules. Aqueous mixtures of NaCAS and ECG phase-separate segregatively over a wide range of concentrations. According to the images obtained by confocal laser scanning microscopy, NaCAS particles form larger protein aggregates when ECG is present in the system. An increase in the hydrodynamic diameter of NaCAS particles, as a result of ECG addition, was also observed by light scattering in diluted systems. A depletion–flocculation phenomenon, in which ECG is excluded from NaCAS surface, is proposed to occur in the concentrated mixed systems, resulting in NaCAS aggregation. ECG raises the viscosity of NaCAS dispersions without affecting the Newtonian flow behaviour of NaCAS. These results contribute to improve the knowledge of a barely-studied hydrocolloid which may be useful in the development of innovative food systems.