A Comparative Study on the Properties of Films Made from Tragacanth, Locust bean and Alyssum homolocarpum Seed Gum

The aim of this study was to investigate the properties of Tragacanth gum (TG) and Alyssum homolocarpum seed gum (AHSG) as new edible film forming materials and to compare them with Locust bean gum (LBG) as a reference. Edible films of each gum were prepared by casting method and their microstructural, physical and mechanical properties as well as the rheological behaviour of the initial solutions were investigated. The results indicated that in comparison with LBG, TG and AHSG solutions showed higher and lower viscosity, respectively. The electron scanning micrographs revealed that the structure of LBG and TG films was smooth and uniform with no pores and cracks while AHSG films were more porous with cracks on the surface. The thickness, density and transparency values and color properties of TG film showed no significant difference compared to LBG film but the film made from AHSG had an opaque and greenish appearance with higher thickness and lower density values. The mechanical and water vapour barrier properties of TG film were found to be better than AHSG film and comparable with LBG film. The results of this study demonstrated that TG can potentially be used as an edible film forming agent for food applications.

کلیدواژه ها:

Edible film ، Rheology ، Mechanical properties ، Water vapour permeability ، Qodoumeh Shirazi