Polysaccharide from Clitocybe squamulosa: Gel-forming properties and its compound effect with food thickener.

To study the gel-forming properties of polysaccharide from the fruiting body of Clitocybe squamulosa (CSFP) and its degradation product (UH-CSFP), the changes in steady-state and dynamic rheological properties of CSFP and UH-CSFP under different conditions (polysaccharide mass fraction, temperature, pH, and salt ion concentration) were studied. Polysaccharides with good gel-forming properties were selected and mixed with common edible thickeners (gelatin, guar gum, and locust bean gum), after which the properties of the composite gel were assessed. The steady-state rheological results showed that CSFP and UH-CSFP were pseudoplastic fluids, their apparent viscosity decreased with increasing temperature, the viscosity was greatest when the pH was 7. The addition of Na+ and Ca2+ could increase the viscosity, and the viscosity of UH-CSFP was lower than that of CSFP at the same mass fraction. The results of dynamic rheology indicated that G´ and G´´ of CSFP and UH-CSFP increased with increasing mass fraction, pH, and ion concentration (0.01 M to 1 M), and G´´ was always smaller than G´ indicating weak gel behavior. The thixotropy-related experimental results showed that the thixotropy ring area of CSFP and UH-CSFP increased with increasing mass fraction, the ring area of CSFP was larger than that of UH-CSFP, and the gel strength of CSFP was greater than that of UH-CSFP. The results of CSFP and three types of edible gels showed that the composite gels were pseudoplastic fluids, and their apparent viscosity was ranked (in descending order) as follows: guar bean gum, locust bean gum, and gelatin. The addition of CSFP improved the gel-forming properties of guar gum but did not significantly improve the gel properties of locust bean gum and gelatin. This study provides a theoretical basis for the selection of processing methods and the application of polysaccharides.

The Effects of Naematelia aurantialba on the Pasting and Rheological Properties of Starch and the Research and Development of Soft Candy.

To study the effects of Naematelia aurantialba (NA) on the rheological and gelatinization properties of starch, the processing methods of NA were diversified. In this study, the gelatinization and rheological properties of corn starch (CS) and edible cassava starch (ECS) were investigated by adding NA with different mass fractions. Starch soft candy was prepared using NA, CS, and ECS as the main raw materials. Rheological studies showed that both CS-NA and ECS-NA exhibited elastic modulus (G') > viscosity modulus (G″), implying elastic behavior. G' was such that CS+1%NA > CS+5%NA > CS+3%NA > CS > CS+2%NA > CS+4%NA > ECS+4%NA > ECS+3%NA > ECS+5%NA > ECS+2%NA > ECS+1%NA > ECS. The gelatinization implied showed that after adding NA, the pasting temperature of CS-NA and ECS-NA increased by 1.33 °C and decreased by 2.46 °C, while their breakdown values decreased by 442.35 cP and 866.98 cP, respectively. Through a single-factor test and orthogonal test, the best formula of starch soft candy was as follows: 0.4 f of NA, 10 g of white granulated sugar, a mass ratio of ECS to CS of 20:1 (g:g), 0.12 g of citric acid, 1 g of red date power, and 16 mL of water. The soft candy was stable when stored for two days. This study offers a new direction for the research and development of NA starch foods.