A comparative study on texture, gelatinisation, retrogradation and potential food application of binary gels made from selected starches and edible gums.

The effects of the addition of edible gums (xanthan gum (XG), flaxseed gum (FG), konjac glucomannan (KGM) or tamarind seed gum (TSG)) on texture, gelatinisation and retrogradation of selected starches were investigated. XG and KGM significantly (p < 0.05) reduced syneresis of rich starch gels, from 62.5% to 13.1% and 62.5% to 21.2%, respectively. Moreover, the addition of gums resulted in softer binary gels, the hardness of lotus root starch was reduced from 39.07 to 14.08 g with the increase in XG content. Additionally, FG and TSG significantly increased the peak viscosity of mung bean starch (MBS) gels from 4372 to 10,285 cp. This facilitated the use of MBS gels as thickeners in foods. Binary gels improved the heat stability of starch gels, thus, widening its application in the preparation of baked foods. Binary gels could be used as additives in food production to improve the overall quality of foods.