Rheological and microstructural properties of polysaccharide obtained from the gelatinous Tremella fuciformis fungus

The gelatinous feature of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide (TFP) has attracted growing interest in its applica-tion as a thickening agent in the food industry. This study aims to reveal the microstructure and rheological properties of TFP. Results showed that TFP randomly distributed in aqueous solutions in an irregular worm-like morphology and formed a more extensive entangled network and stiffer chains at higher concentration solutions. The further rheological study indicated that the TFP solutions exhibited a shear-thinning behavior. Multiple results of dynamic oscillation tests confirmed the viscoelastic properties of TFP. Frequency sweep data display that TFP solutions exhibit solid-like behavior at high frequencies, showing the oscillatory behavior of entangled polymers. The temperature sweep demonstrated that the rheological behavior of TFP is thermally reversible. These results enriched the understanding of the rheology-microstructure relationship of TFP solution and were beneficial to expanding the application of TFP in food processing.

Automated summary

The aim of this study is to investigate the microstructure and rheological properties of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide (TFP). The results showed that TFP exhibited an irregular worm-like morphology in aqueous solutions and formed a more extensive entangled network and stiffer chains at higher concentrations. Rheological tests indicated that TFP solutions displayed shear-thinning behavior and viscoelastic properties. Frequency sweep data revealed the solid-like behavior of TFP at high frequencies. Additionally, temperature sweep tests showed that the rheological behavior of TFP was thermally reversible. These findings enhance our understanding of the rheology-microstructure relationship of TFP solutions and can contribute to the broader application of TFP in food processing.