Rheological Modeling, Spectroscopic and Physicochemical Characterization of Raphia hookeri (RH) Gum Exudate

• Main Authors: Nnabuk Okon EDDY, Inemesit UDOFIA, Stephen Eyije ABECHI, Edward OKEY, Anduang ODIONGENYI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Walailak University 2014-03-01
• Series: Walailak Journal of Science and Technology
• Subjects: Raphia hookeri gum; physicochemical analysis; rheological modeling; food additives; pharmaceutical excipient
• Online Access: http://wjst.wu.ac.th/index.php/wjst/article/view/943
• ISSN: 1686-3933; 2228-835X

Raphia hookeri (RH) gum exudate has been analysed for physical (colour, odour, taste, pH, salinity, turbidity), chemical (solubility in some solvents, proximate/elemental composition, vitamin composition, phytochemicals and anti-nutrients) and spectroscopic (wavelength of maximum absorption, GCMS, FTIR and SEM) properties. The results obtained from the study revealed that RH gum has the potential for utilization as an emulsifier, a food additive and as a pharmaceutical excipient. Rheological modeling on the gum revealed that the average intrinsic value of the gum, (deduced from Huggins, Kraemer, Tanglerpaibul and Rao models) is approximately 3.0 dl/g. The calculated values of Huggins and Kraemer constants revealed the existence of molecular association in the gum. The gum is found to possess unique rheological properties including absence of degradation/conformational changes, existent of intra and inter molecular interactions, adoption of random coil model and absent of coil overlap transition. RH gum is a shear thinning, non- Newtonian gum with pseudo-plastic behavior. The calculated thermodynamic parameters were comparable to those reported for some food gums. doi:10.14456/WJST.2015.87