JP3447213B2 - Gelling agent and gel-like material - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a gelling agent in which a low molecular weight xanthan gum is mixed with a gelling agent, and more specifically, a low molecular weight xanthan gum is mixed with a polysaccharide gelling agent such as locust bean gum or glucomannan. The present invention relates to a gelling agent obtained by blending a low molecular weight xanthan gum with the gelling agent described above or a gelling agent such as carrageenan or agar. The present invention also relates to a gelled material obtained by using these gelling agents.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Xanthan gum is a natural polysaccharide produced extracellularly by culturing a microorganism, Xanthomonas campestris , purely in a glucose medium or a starch medium. Compared with the molecular weight of other polysaccharides of several hundreds of thousands, xanthan gum has a very large molecular weight of 1 million to 2 million, and is also extremely excellent in terms of heat resistance and acid resistance. Have Xanthan gum is widely used as a thickener and stabilizer for various foods. Further, xanthan gum does not gel by itself, but has a property of gelling when combined with locust bean gum, glucomannan, etc., and is also used as a gelling agent. By the way, since xanthan gum has a very large molecular weight as described above, it is very difficult to completely dissolve it. Also, a large amount of bubbles are generated during melting, but it is very difficult to degas the bubbles. further,
In a gel-like material prepared by mixing xanthan gum with a gelling agent such as locust bean gum or glucomannan,
It has a moist, mochi-like texture and it is very difficult to control its texture. On the other hand, carrageenan and agar obtained from seaweed are widely used in foods as gelling agents, but gels prepared using these gelling agents have pH of 4.0 or less under acidic conditions. There is a problem that the gel strength decreases with time. This phenomenon is due to the hydrolysis of carrageenan and agar molecular chains by acid. This phenomenon becomes a problem in products such as fruit jelly that uses carrageenan and agar in a low pH range.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present inventors have conducted a physical treatment such as irradiation with ultrasonic waves when preparing a gel-like material, an enzymatic treatment such as xanthanases or radicals such as hydrogen peroxide. It is already known that a low-molecular weight xanthan gum having a reduced molecular weight can be obtained by a chemical treatment or the like, but the inventors have made intensive studies on the utility of the obtained low-molecular weight xanthan gum. Therefore, it has been found that this low-molecular-weight xanthan gum has characteristics that solubility is better than xanthan gum, and that it has characteristics that heat resistance and acid resistance equivalent to xanthan gum are maintained. . Then, by blending this low molecular weight xanthan gum into a gelling agent such as locust bean gum or glucomannan, it can be used as a gelling agent for obtaining a gel-like material whose texture can be adjusted, By blending the molecularized xanthan gum with a gelling agent such as carrageenan or agar, it was found that it can be used as a gelling agent for obtaining a gelled product to which heat resistance and acid resistance are imparted, and the present invention is obtained. It came to completion. Therefore, the present invention is a gelling agent or heat resistance or acid resistance in which a low molecular weight xanthan gum is mixed with a polysaccharide gelling agent such as locust bean gum or glucomannan in order to obtain a gelled material to which texture adjusting ability is imparted. An object of the present invention is to provide a gelling agent in which a low molecular weight xanthan gum is mixed with a gelling agent such as carrageenan or agar in order to obtain a gelled product to which properties are imparted. Another object of the present invention is to provide a gel-like material having a texture adjusting ability and a gel-like material having heat resistance and acid resistance, which are obtained by using these gelling agents.

[0004]

In the present invention, the texture adjusting ability is imparted by using a gelling agent containing a low molecular weight xanthan gum having a reduced molecular weight of xanthan gum in place of the conventional gelling agent. It is possible to obtain a gel-like material or a gel-like material to which heat resistance and acid resistance are imparted. The low molecular weight xanthan gum used in the present invention is
The molecular weight of xanthan gum is reduced by physical treatment such as irradiation with ultrasonic waves, enzymatic treatment that causes xanthanase or the like to act, or chemical treatment that causes radicals such as hydrogen peroxide to act. A low molecular weight xanthan gum having an appropriate molecular weight is used accordingly. Further, in the present invention, as a gelling agent for blending low molecular weight xanthan gum having an appropriate molecular weight depending on the purpose of use, a gelling agent such as a polysaccharide gelling agent such as locust bean gum or glucomannan or carrageenan or agar Can be illustrated.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the gelling agent of the present invention, low molecular weight xanthan gum is blended with a gelling agent which has been conventionally used. The amount of low molecular weight xanthan gum to be blended with the gelling agent in the present invention, as the amount of low molecular weight xanthan gum that is dissolved when producing a gelled substance, is about 0.1 to 2.0% by weight, and the effect and solubility It is preferable in terms. The gelling agent containing the low molecular weight xanthan gum of the present invention can be made into a gel by the same treatment as the conventional gelling agent mixed together. The low-molecular-weight xanthan gum used in the present invention has heat resistance and acid resistance, and even if it is subjected to heat sterilization at 80 to 100 ° C in a low pH solution state, no problem occurs. In this way, by using the gelling agent of the present invention, by producing the gelled material of the present invention, the texture can be adjusted, or gelled food such as jelly to which heat resistance or acid resistance is endowed Can be manufactured. Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples.

[0006]

[Reference Example 1] After adjusting the pH of a 0.5% xanthan gum aqueous solution to 5.6 with a citric acid-sodium citrate buffer, hydrogen peroxide and iron sulfate were added and reacted to lower the molecular weight of xanthan gum. The reaction is
The test was carried out at a temperature of 60 ° C. for 30 minutes (low molecular weight product 1), 60 minutes (low molecular weight product 2), 120 minutes (low molecular weight product 3) and 240 minutes (low molecular weight product 4). The reaction is stopped by adding sodium thiocyanate, and after stopping the reaction,
The catalysis of iron ions was stopped by adding ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The reaction solution was dialyzed in pure water and then freeze-dried to obtain low molecular weight xanthan gum.

[0007]

[Test Example 1] Xanthan gum and each of the low molecular weight xanthan gums obtained in Reference Example 1 were dissolved in water, and their solubilities were visually observed. In addition, the viscosity average molecular weights of the xanthan gum and the low molecular weight xanthan gum obtained in Reference Example 1 were measured. First, the viscosity of the xanthan gum solution or low molecular weight xanthan gum solution adjusted to each concentration is measured with a capillary viscometer, and the viscosity when extrapolated to zero concentration by plotting the viscosity for each concentration solution, that is, the intrinsic viscosity Then, the viscosity average molecular weight was calculated from the following Mark-Howink-Sakurada formula. [Η] = KM ^a (where [η] is the intrinsic viscosity, M is the viscosity average molecular weight, and K and ^a are constants.
^a depends on the solvent used for viscosity measurement. ). In this test example, the viscosity-average molecular weight was determined by measuring the intrinsic viscosity with a Canon-Fenske capillary viscometer using a 0.1 M sodium chloride aqueous solution as a solvent at a temperature of 25 ° C. The values of constants K and ^a when 0.1M sodium chloride aqueous solution was used as a solvent at a temperature of 25 ° C are as follows (R. Lapasin and S. Pricl, "Rheol
ogy of Industrial Polysaccharides, Theory and Appl
ications ", p.277, Blackie Academic & Professional,
London, 1995). K = 1.7 × 10 ⁻⁴ a = 1.14 Further, 0.5% aqueous solutions of xanthan gum and the low molecular weight xanthan gum obtained in Reference Example 1 were prepared,
The flow behavior of those aqueous solutions was observed. The above results are shown in Table 1.

[0008]

[Table 1] ────────────────────────────────────                         Solubility Viscosity average molecular weight Flow behavior ────────────────────────────────────   Xanthan gum Extremely difficult 1,100,000 pseudoplastic flow   Low molecular weight product 1 Easy 950,000 Newtonian flow   Low molecular weight product 2 Easy 770,000 Newtonian flow   Low molecular weight product 3 Extremely easy 410,000 Newtonian flow   Low molecular weight product 4 Very easy 140,000 Newtonian flow ────────────────────────────────────

[0009]

[Reference Example 2] Xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum obtained in Reference Example 1 was blended with locust bean gum to produce a gelling agent. Moreover, a gel-like material was produced using these gelling agents. That is, a gelling agent of locust bean gum: xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum = 1: 1 was dispersed in pure water so as to be 1.0% by weight, and dissolved by heating to prepare a mix. Next, this mix was cooled to produce a gel. The texture of each obtained gel-like material was evaluated by dynamic viscoelasticity. The result is shown in FIG. In addition, this dynamic viscoelasticity is a method of giving periodic minute strain to a gel-like material and evaluating the texture of each gel-like material from its response (stress magnitude and time delay). In the examples, the texture of each gel-like material was evaluated from the value of tan δ, which is a ratio of the values of viscous properties and elastic properties among various parameters of this dynamic viscoelasticity. tan δ = G ″ / G ′ (where G ′ represents the dynamic elastic modulus and G ″ represents the dynamic loss). In this evaluation method, the elastic (solid) property becomes stronger as the value of tan δ becomes smaller, and t
It means that the larger the value of an δ, the stronger the viscous (liquid-like) property. According to this, the value of tan δ greatly decreased as the molecular weight of the low molecular weight xanthan gum increased. That is, the lower the molecular weight of the low molecular weight xanthan gum used with Locust bean gum,
The texture of the resulting gel-like material changed from a solid property to a liquid property. Therefore, by utilizing this property, the texture of the gel-like material can be adjusted.

[0010]

Example 1 Carrageenan was blended with xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum obtained in Reference Example 1,
A gelling agent was produced. In addition, low pH gels were produced using these gelling agents. That is, κ-carrageenan: xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum =
A 2: 1 gelling agent was dispersed in pure water to a concentration of 1.5% by weight and dissolved by heating to prepare a mix. This mix was adjusted to a very low pH of 2.9 by adding citric acid and dipotassium hydrogen phosphate. Then 60
Keep mix kept at ℃, cool it down with time, and cool it to low pH.
A gel was produced. Similarly, a low pH gelled product was prepared by adjusting the pH to a low level and keeping the κ-carrageenan kept at 60 ° C. over time and then cooling. The compression strength tester (Leonar 33005;
(Made by Sanden). The result is shown in FIG. Further, the texture of each low pH gel-like substance was evaluated from the value of tan δ depending on the frequency. The result is shown in FIG. According to this, the gel strength of the low pH gel-like product produced only with κ-carrageenan decreased sharply with time, but the low pH gel produced using xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum together with κ-carrageenan. The gel strength of the substance did not decrease so much over time. Therefore, it was found that by adding xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum to κ-carrageenan, it is possible to improve the acid resistance of the obtained gel-like material. It was also found that by using a gelling agent in which each low molecular weight xanthan gum is mixed with κ-carrageenan, acid resistance can be improved without changing the texture of the obtained gel-like material.

[0011]

Example 2 Xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum obtained in Reference Example 1 was mixed with agar to produce a gelling agent. Also, using these gelling agents, low pH
A gel was produced. That is, as in Example 1 , agar: xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum =
A 2: 1 gelling agent was dispersed in pure water to a concentration of 1.5% by weight and dissolved by heating to prepare a mix. For this mix, add citric acid and dipotassium hydrogen phosphate
The pH was adjusted to a very low pH of 2.9. Next, the mix kept at 60 ° C was fractionated with time and cooled to produce a low pH gel substance. Similarly, adjust to a low pH and
The agar kept at ℃ was collected over time and cooled to produce a low pH gel. As in Example 1 , the gel strength of each low pH gel material obtained was measured by a compression fracture tester (Leonar 33005; manufactured by Yamaden). The result is shown in FIG. Further, the texture of each low pH gel-like substance was evaluated from the value of tan δ depending on frequency. The result is shown in FIG. According to this, the gel strength of the low-pH gel-like substance produced only by agar, decreased sharply with time, but the gel of the low-pH gel-like substance produced by using xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum together with agar. The strength did not decrease much over time.
Therefore, it was found that by adding xanthan gum or each low molecular weight xanthan gum to agar, it is possible to improve the acid resistance of the obtained gel-like material. It was also found that by using a gelling agent in which each low molecular weight xanthan gum was mixed with agar, acid resistance could be improved without changing the texture of the obtained gel-like material.

[0012]

The gelling agent of the present invention, which is a gelling agent of the present invention in which a low molecular weight xanthan gum is added to the gelling agent of the present invention, is a gelling agent of the present invention. By using the agent to prepare a gelled product, a gelled product having various properties can be obtained.
For example, in a gelling agent in which a low molecular weight xanthan gum is mixed with a polysaccharide gelling agent such as locust bean gum or glucomannan, by selecting the molecular weight of the low molecular weight xanthan gum to be mixed, gel-like substances having different textures can be obtained. Obtainable. Further, in a gelling agent in which a low-molecular-weight xanthan gum is mixed with a gelling agent such as carrageenan or agar, it is possible to obtain a gelled product having acid resistance without changing the texture. Therefore,
By using these gelling agents, gelled products having various properties can be obtained and can be provided as gelled food products such as jellies.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows the relationship between the tan δ value of each gel-like material produced in Reference Example 2 and the viscosity average molecular weight of the used xanthan gum or low molecular weight xanthan gum.

FIG. 2 shows the time-dependent changes in the gel strength of each low pH gel material produced in Example 1.

[Explanation of symbols]

●: Low pH gel-like substance produced by using κ-carrageenan. ◯: Low-pH gel-like substance produced by using a gelling agent in which xanthan gum is mixed with κ-carrageenan. □: Low produced by using a gelling agent in which κ-carrageenan is mixed with low molecular weight xanthan gum (molecular weight 767,000).
pH gel. Δ: Low produced by using a gelling agent in which low molecular weight xanthan gum (molecular weight 136,000) was mixed with κ-carrageenan.
pH gel.

FIG. 3 shows the frequency-dependent tan δ value of each low pH gelled substance produced in Example 1 .

[Explanation of symbols]

●: Low pH gel-like substance produced by using κ-carrageenan. ◯: Low-pH gel-like substance produced by using a gelling agent in which xanthan gum is mixed with κ-carrageenan. □: Low produced by using a gelling agent in which κ-carrageenan is mixed with low molecular weight xanthan gum (molecular weight 767,000).
pH gel. Δ: Low produced by using a gelling agent in which low molecular weight xanthan gum (molecular weight 136,000) was mixed with κ-carrageenan.
pH gel.

FIG. 4 shows the time-dependent change in gel strength of each low pH gel-like substance produced in Example 2 .

[Explanation of symbols]

●: Low pH gel-like substance produced using agar. ◯: Low pH gel material produced by using a gelling agent in which xanthan gum is mixed with agar. □: Low molecular weight xanthan gum on agar (molecular weight 136,000)
A low pH gel-like product produced by using a gelling agent containing

FIG. 5 shows the frequency-dependent tan δ value of each low pH gelled substance produced in Example 2 .

[Explanation of symbols]

●: Low pH gel-like substance produced using agar. ◯: Low pH gel material produced by using a gelling agent in which xanthan gum is mixed with agar. □: Low molecular weight xanthan gum on agar (molecular weight 136,000)
A low pH gel-like product produced by using a gelling agent containing

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --Continued from the front page (56) Reference JP-A-9-299042 (JP, A) JP-A-6-30714 (JP, A) JP-A-63-296658 (JP, A) JP-A-58- 101651 (JP, A) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23L 1 / 04,1 / 06

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A molecular weight of a gelling agent comprising a low molecular weight xanthan gum and carrageenan and / or agar 100,000～950,000. 2. The gelling agent according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the low-molecular weight xanthan gum is 0.1 to 2.0% by weight as the amount of the low-molecular weight xanthan gum that is dissolved when the gelled material is produced. 3. A gel-like product of a food obtained by using the gelling agent according to claim 1.