Effect of extraction temperature of taro mucilage on physicochemical and rheological properties

Abstract

Mucilage, which is the main component of the taro plant, and is known to have significant health benefits, has become a versatile ingredient in the food industry due to its richness in fiber and protein and its unique rheological properties. Taro mucilage has a rich content of various bioactive chemicals such as saponins, tannins, flavonoids, and phenolic acids along with being viscous and water-soluble. The effective use of taro mucilage is only possible if it is efficiently extracted, which has created a pre-treatment or additional treatment requirement. Temperature application plays a crucial role in taro mucilage extraction and significantly affects its composition, yield, and quality. This present study focuses on the effects of different temperatures (20, 40, 60 and 80 C-degrees) applied during taro mucilage extraction on physicochemical and rheological properties. The water-holding capacity of taro mucilage samples decreased significantly (p < 0.05) from 0.48 to 0.12% with a rise in temperature while there is no significant linear decrease or increase in oil-holding capacity and solubility values. Emulsifying activity and emulsion stability parameters significantly improved by increasing temperature (p < 0.05). The zeta potential ranged from - 10.49 to - 24.09 so stable emulsions were formed. At higher temperatures, lighter mucilage was obtained for both the powder and aqueous form of mucilage. The samples showed pseudoplastic behavior and the temperature increased the K value up to 60(degrees)C.