Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The structure and dynamics of locust bean gum in aqueous solution

O'Connell, Adam ; Goycoolea, Francisco M. ; Gulotta, Alessandro LU ; Holmqvist, Peter LU ; Schuetz, Peter and Mattsson, Johan (2023) In Food Hydrocolloids 138.
Abstract

Locust bean gum (LBG) is an industrially important polysaccharide used widely in food, cosmetics, textiles, and biopharmaceutical applications, where understanding its solution behaviour is important for formulation design. To address this, we investigate the structure and dynamics of LBG in aqueous solution using steady state shear rheology, static light scattering (SLS), ultra-small-angle light scattering (USALS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). We find that steady state shear rheology mainly probes the well-dispersed LBG fraction, whereas the scattering response is dominated by supramolecular LBG aggregates. We identify three viscosity-concentration regimes (dilute, semidilute unentangled, and semidilute entangled), with scaling... (More)

Locust bean gum (LBG) is an industrially important polysaccharide used widely in food, cosmetics, textiles, and biopharmaceutical applications, where understanding its solution behaviour is important for formulation design. To address this, we investigate the structure and dynamics of LBG in aqueous solution using steady state shear rheology, static light scattering (SLS), ultra-small-angle light scattering (USALS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). We find that steady state shear rheology mainly probes the well-dispersed LBG fraction, whereas the scattering response is dominated by supramolecular LBG aggregates. We identify three viscosity-concentration regimes (dilute, semidilute unentangled, and semidilute entangled), with scaling behaviour largely consistent with predictions for neutral flexible polymers. SLS and USALS provide evidence for the existence of two separate populations of aggregated structures, where SLS mainly probes the internal structure of the smaller aggregate population. The solution dynamics are dominated by a ‘slow’ decay mode, which is consistent with Zimm dynamics and attributed to relaxations within the aggregates. In dilute solutions, the apparent viscosity associated with this mode is greater than the solution viscosity, but the two converge as concentration is increased. An additional ‘fast’ mode is observed within the semidilute range, associated with the dispersed polymer fraction, and attributed to cooperative diffusion. Our study provides comprehensive insight into the structure and dynamics of aqueous LBG solutions—paving the way for a greater fundamental understanding of galactomannans in solution, and for increased control over LBG-based formulations of industrial interest.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Galactomannans, Light scattering, Locust bean gum, Structure, Viscosity
in
Food Hydrocolloids
volume
138
article number
108446
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85146474436
ISSN
0268-005X
DOI
10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.108446
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1bae6a31-74f0-4eea-b502-3e132b353e37
date added to LUP
2024-01-12 11:49:34
date last changed
2024-01-12 11:49:34
@article{1bae6a31-74f0-4eea-b502-3e132b353e37,
  abstract     = {{<p>Locust bean gum (LBG) is an industrially important polysaccharide used widely in food, cosmetics, textiles, and biopharmaceutical applications, where understanding its solution behaviour is important for formulation design. To address this, we investigate the structure and dynamics of LBG in aqueous solution using steady state shear rheology, static light scattering (SLS), ultra-small-angle light scattering (USALS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). We find that steady state shear rheology mainly probes the well-dispersed LBG fraction, whereas the scattering response is dominated by supramolecular LBG aggregates. We identify three viscosity-concentration regimes (dilute, semidilute unentangled, and semidilute entangled), with scaling behaviour largely consistent with predictions for neutral flexible polymers. SLS and USALS provide evidence for the existence of two separate populations of aggregated structures, where SLS mainly probes the internal structure of the smaller aggregate population. The solution dynamics are dominated by a ‘slow’ decay mode, which is consistent with Zimm dynamics and attributed to relaxations within the aggregates. In dilute solutions, the apparent viscosity associated with this mode is greater than the solution viscosity, but the two converge as concentration is increased. An additional ‘fast’ mode is observed within the semidilute range, associated with the dispersed polymer fraction, and attributed to cooperative diffusion. Our study provides comprehensive insight into the structure and dynamics of aqueous LBG solutions—paving the way for a greater fundamental understanding of galactomannans in solution, and for increased control over LBG-based formulations of industrial interest.</p>}},
  author       = {{O'Connell, Adam and Goycoolea, Francisco M. and Gulotta, Alessandro and Holmqvist, Peter and Schuetz, Peter and Mattsson, Johan}},
  issn         = {{0268-005X}},
  keywords     = {{Galactomannans; Light scattering; Locust bean gum; Structure; Viscosity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Food Hydrocolloids}},
  title        = {{The structure and dynamics of locust bean gum in aqueous solution}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.108446}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.108446}},
  volume       = {{138}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}