Influence of Gum Arabic from Acacia Senegal var. kerensis on the Modifications of Pasting and Textural Properties of Cassava and Corn Starches ()
ABSTRACT
The use of hydrocolloids to modify
the properties of native starches has been on the rise in the recent times due
to the market demand for natural, safe and economical food ingredients. The
objective of this study was to investigate the effect of gum Arabic from Acacia
senegal var. kerensis to modify pasting and textural properties of
corn and cassava starches, as an alternative to chemical and enzymatic modification. Blends were prepared
by substituting the starches with gum at different levels (0%, 0.5%, 2.0%,
4.0%, 6.0% and 8.0%), whereas native corn and cassava starches were used as
control. The pasting properties of the starch-gum mixed systems were determined
using the Brabender viscograph while the
textural properties (firmness, consistency, cohesiveness and work of
cohesion) were determined using Texture Analyzer. Results showed that the gum
Arabic significantly decreased all the viscosity parameters (peak
viscosity, final viscosity, break down and setback values) of both starches at all levels of substitution. However, there was no
significant effect of gum Arabic on the pasting temperature (72.05°C - 71.85°C) for corn starch and (68.90°C - 68.65°C) for cassava starch. The degree of gel firmness and consistency was
higher in corn starch than in cassava starch and the effect of gum addition differed with each starch. The findings from this
study indicate that gum Arabic significantly modified the pasting and
textural properties of corn and cassava starches due to strong interaction
between the gum and the starches. Hence, this property of gum Arabic could be
useful in controlling starch retrogradation and determining starch end use
functionality.
Share and Cite:
Kiprop, V. , Omwamba, M. and Mahungu, S. (2021) Influence of Gum Arabic from
Acacia Senegal var.
kerensis on the Modifications of Pasting and Textural Properties of Cassava and Corn Starches.
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
12, 1098-1115. doi:
10.4236/fns.2021.1211081.