Investigating the Impact of Parameters on HA and LA Gellan Gum Interaction: the ratio between the HA and LA gellan gums, calcium, pH, sucrose, and pectin.

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the existence and the degree of interaction between HA and LA gellan gums and their proportions in the presence of calcium, pH, sucrose, and pectin. For this purpose, different concentrations of these hydrocolloids were evaluated according to experimental design, the central composite design type, to investigate the influence on the responses regarding the uniaxial compression test. The response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to the responses of true stress (σT), true strain (εH), and Young's modulus. Possible interactions between gellan gum, sucrose, and pectin were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR). The variables gellan gum weight ratio, calcium, pH, sucrose, and pectin influenced the output responses for the compression test, and variations in the values of these variables affected the results for hardness, strain, and modulus. Formulations with lower and higher gellan gum weight ratios obtained higher mean values for hardness and Young's modulus and higher strength and firmness to compression, respectively. The FTIR-ATR results confirmed the interactions between the gellan gums, sucrose, and pectin.