Rheological Properties of Spirulinan

Abstract

Rheological properties of spirulinan, a mucilaginous polysaccharide extracted from Spirulina subsalsa Oerst var. crassior, were observed together with other food hydracolloids, λ-carrageenan, locust bean gum, guar gum, xanthan and pullulan. The viscoelastic coefficients of spirulinan did not depend so much on temperature compared with other food hydrocolloids. Spirulinan was found to have gelling ability in the presence of salts, such as KCI, NaCl, CaCl₂, and MgCl₂. Spirulinan gel showed excellent water holding capacity.