Cold-Set Gelation of Commercial Soy Protein Isolate: Effects of the Incorporation of Locust Bean Gum and Solid Lipid Microparticles on the Properties of Gels

Legume protein/polysaccharide food hydrogels: Preparation methods, improvement strategies and applications

For the development of innovative foods and nutritional fortification, research into food gel is essential. As two types of rich natural gel material, both legume proteins and polysaccharides have high nutritional value and excellent application potential, attracting wide attention worldwide. Research has focused on combining legume proteins with polysaccharides to form hybrid hydrogels as their combinations show improved texture and water retention compared to single legume protein or single polysaccharide gels, and these properties can be tailored for specific applications. This article reviews hydrogels of common legume proteins and discusses heat induction, pH induction, salt ion induction, and enzyme-induced assembly of legume protein/polysaccharide mixtures. The applications of these hydrogels in fat replacement, satiety enhancement, and delivery of bioactive ingredients are discussed. Challenges for future work are also highlighted.

The improvement of texture properties and storage stability for kappa carrageenan in developing vegan gummy candies

BACKGROUND

As plant-based foods have become more mainstream in recent years, carrageenan has been used to replace animal-derived gelatin in confectionery products. However, texture defects and water seepage during storage limit the development of kappa carrageenan (KC) gummy candies.

RESULTS

This study evaluated the effects of hydrocolloids on the texture properties and storage stability of KC gummy candies. The results showed that 4 g kg^-1 carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) composited with 20 g kg^-1 KC formed a flexible gummy candy with low fragility and limited water seepage during storage. Further investigation revealed that 4 g kg^-1 CMC promoted side-by-side intermolecular aggregation of KC helices through hydrogen bonding, which stabilized a denser network structure compared to the pure KC hydrogel. However, high CMC proportions (8-12 g kg^-1 ) led to electrostatic repulsion that dominated in the system, inhibiting the gel-forming process and thus resulting in a weak gel structure with accelerated syneresis.

CONCLUSION

This study found that 4 g kg^-1 CMC was able to improve the flexibility and decrease unacceptable fragility of KC gummy candies, with water seepage decreased during storage significantly. It provided preliminary evidence for utilizing hydrocolloids to adjust texture and control water migration in KC gels, and has potential to promote wide development of vegan gummy candies. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

A facile synthesis of graphene oxide/locust bean gum hybrid aerogel for water purification

Graphene oxide/locust bean gum (GO/LBG) aerogels, synthesized in an ice crystal template without using any chemical modifiers, were used for the treatment of water pollution. Various characterization results showed that GO/LBG aerogel exhibited a network-like three-dimensional (3D) structure with large specific surface area. The adsorption data revealed that GO/LBG aerogels with GO/LBG mass ratio of 1:4 (GO/LBG-1 aerogels) exhibited more prominent adsorption properties for Rhodamine-B (RhB, 514.5 mgg^-1) than Indigo Carmine (IC, 134.6 mgg^-1). Simultaneously, GO/LBG-1 aerogels could selectively remove RhB from a binary mixed solution of RhB-IC dyes. Furthermore, GO/LBG-1 aerogels also displayed excellent reusability and could still reach 92.4 % after ten cycles. Based on the above results, GO/LBG-1 aerogel could be considered as an ideal adsorbent with potential application value for removing water-soluble RhB from wastewater.