Rheological Differences of Waxy Barley Flour Dispersions Mixed with Various Gums

Rheological properties of waxy barley flour (WBF) dispersions mixed with various gums (carboxyl methyl celluleose, guar gum, gum arabic, konjac gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, and xanthan gum) at different gum concentrations were examined in steady and dynamic shear. WBF-gum mixture samples showed a clear trend of shear-thinning behavior and had a non-Newtonian nature with yield stress. Rheological tests indicated that the flow and dynamic rheological parameter (apparent viscosity, consistency index, yield stress, storage modulus, and loss modulus) values of WBF dispersions mixed with gums, except for gum arabic, were significantly higher than those of WBF with no gum, and also increased with an increase in gum concentration. In particular, konjac gum at 0.6% among other gums showed the highest rheological parameter values. Tan δ values of WBF-xanthan gum mixtures were lower than those of other gums, showing that there is a more pronounced synergistic effect on the elastic properties of WBF in the presence of xanthan gum. Such synergistic effect was hypothesized by considering thermodynamic compatibility between xanthan gum and WBF. These rheological results suggest that in the WBF-gum mixture systems, the addition of gums modified the flow and viscoelastic properties of WBF, and that these modifications were dependent on the type of gum and gum concentration.