Gelation properties of calcium-inulin gels

Abstract

Inulin is a prebiotic ingredient that is being increasingly used in food formulations as fat replacer. The present manuscript focuses on the formation of gels formed from inulin aqueous dispersions, observing the effect of inulin content, ranging from 25 to 50 wt%, and of the presence of calcium salts (chloride, lactate) at different concentrations up to 5 wt% Gels are observed to be stronger and formed in a shorter time as the polysaccharide content is higher. Both backscattering and rheological techniques can be used to follow the gelation, being able to detect a significant initial setting stage at 25 wt% inulin content. When calcium salts are added, weakening of gels takes place, resulting in lower values of the storage and loss moduli, G' and G'', respectively, as well as in a reduction of the linear viscoelastic range. Moreover, gelation seems to be retarded on a large scale of time due to the presence of salt. Prebiotic gels containing calcium are of special interest for the development of functional foods, always considering the effect they exert on the rheology when formulating these products.

Study on quality characteristics of cassava flour and cassava flour short biscuits

“…Inulin can also improve the bioavailability of calcium, iron, and magnesium by regulating the transit time of food (Bengoechea et al, 2019;Krystyjan, Ciesielski, Khachatryan, Sikora, & Tomasik, 2015;Li, Ma, & Liu, 2019). Inulin has probiotic effects, that is, the ability to improve the intestinal flora, and can be fermented to produce lactic acid and short-chain fatty acids with participation of the endogenous flora of the colon, which has a positive effect on the digestive system.…”

“…In food formulations, inulin, as a replacement for sugar or fat, is suitable for consumption by diabetics as it does not affect insulin secretion, or blood glucose levels, and can reduce blood cholesterol levels. Inulin can also improve the bioavailability of calcium, iron, and magnesium by regulating the transit time of food (Bengoechea et al, 2019;Krystyjan, Ciesielski, Khachatryan, Sikora, & Tomasik, 2015;Li, Ma, & Liu, 2019). Moreover, inulin can improve the textural quality of food, because of its good pasting properties.…”

Efficient Degradation for Raffinose and Stachyose of a β-D-Fructofuranosidase and Its New Function to Improve Gel Properties of Coagulated Fermented-Soymilk

“…Several other studies have corroborated the advantageous impact of diverse saccharides, including oligosaccharides, on protein gelation in legume-derived comestibles [ 44 ]. Moreover, investigations have demonstrated the capacity of these oligosaccharides to ameliorate protein gelling to a certain extent in various food matrices, such as casein in yogurt [ 45 ], egg white protein [ 46 ], and myofibrillar proteins in meat [ 47 ], while also altering the texture and rheological properties of the gel and potentially impacting the formation of its dense network structure.…”

Influence of egg albumin and whey protein in the co‐encapsulation of betalains and phenolic compounds fromBougainvillea glabrabracts in Ca(II)‐alginate beads

“…The Power-law model (Table S1) The increase of the sodium alginate concentration (1.00% to 1.25%) resulted in values of G′ superior to G′′ (Figure 2a), and a gel-like behavior (Bengoechea et al, 2019). Values of G′ higher than G′′ are related to the reinforcement of the structure chains leading to the formation of a firmer material (Otálora, Barbosa, Perilla, Osorio, & Nazareno, 2019), as a consequence of the increase in the alginate concentration, and a higher number of -OH groups interacting with the water molecules in the dispersion.…”