Rheological study of xanthan and locust bean gum interaction in dilute solution: Effect of salt

An oscillatory capillary rheometer was used to investigate the effects of NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2 on visco-elastic properties of xanthan and locust bean gum (LBG) blends in dilute solution. Gums were evaluated for intrinsic viscosity and elastic component. Molecular conformation of the xanthan-LBG complex was assessed by the power-law and Huggins equations. Addition of any of the three salts reduced significantly the intrinsic viscosity and elastic component of the gum blends, with a pronounced effect from divalent ions, compared with monovalent ions. The 60% xanthan-40% LBG blend exhibited the strongest attraction between xanthan and LBG. For the three salts, the attraction weakened when 5-mM salt was added and vanished with the addition of 50-mM salt. The strongest attraction between xanthan and LBG molecules was also evidenced by a positive Huggins miscibility coefficient K-m, and a positive attraction-repulsion coefficient alpha. With addition of 50 mM of any of the three salts, the coefficient alpha became negative, suggesting a strong repulsion between the two gums. The power-law coefficient b increased as salt concentration and LBG fraction increased in the blends for the three salts, suggesting a more flexible xanthan-LBG complex dependent on salt concentrations and LBG. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.