Characteristics of mucous-forming polysaccharides extracted from flax seeds

Abstract

The research used the seeds of long flax of the "Vruchy" variety and oil-curly flax of the "Original" variety. To extract mucus, whole flax seeds were hydrated for 3 hours. in tap water, at a ratio of 1:20 and a temperature of 18 – 20 °C with constant stirring with a magnetic stirrer. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of temperature and duration of extraction on the yield of mucilaginous polysaccharides in aqueous solution from flaxseed. Change range: the temperature is selected in the range from 0 °С to 100 °С with a step of 20 °С; with a duration, ranging from 10 min to 140 min in 10 min increments. The yield of polysaccharides from flax seeds was determined for each combination of controlled factors. It was established that in the first 10 – 20 min. there is an increase in the yield of polysaccharides and the rate slows over time. For 90 min. equilibrium occurs at a temperature of 80 °C. This period of the process is optimal for the extraction of mucilage-forming polysaccharides from flaxseed. The mass of the extracted polysaccharides, from the mass of the seeds after a time of 95 min was 5.74%, and 6.00% at a temperature of 80 °С. A package of applied statistical programs was employed during the research to process the experimental data. A mathematical model of the process of extracting mucus-forming polysaccharides in an aqueous solution of flax seeds was built using regression analysis methods. The obtained regression equations determined the optimal regimes of the sought values in terms of temperature (80 – 85 °C), time (85 – 90 min) and conducted in compliance with the prescribed amount of water of 200 cm3. Within 10 – 20 min the formation of a transparent gel capsule around the flax with a phase separation boundary under seed contact with water, which does not change further. This indicates the completion of the hydration process.