Rheological and Thermal Studies of Euglena/Konjac Glucomannan Composite Gel as a New Resource Food Matrix

Abstract

Natural konjac glucomannan is an ideal candidate for hydrogels due to its excellent gel-forming abilities, though its limited nutritional value somewhat restricts its applications. This project primarily explored the thermal and rheological properties of composite hydrogels formed by combining konjac glucomannan with Euglena. The hydrogels were created using a Euglena suspension processed through hydration, high-speed shearing, and ultrasonic homogenization. This is the first report to document the creation of composite gels using konjac glucomannan and Euglena. This novel combination enhanced the thermal stability of the gels to 258.7°C, improved frost resistance to −19.9°C, increased the maximum activation energy to 24,179.6 J/mol, and raised maximum creep compliance to 0.6259 1/Pa. These characteristics significantly expand their potential for food preservation and active nutrient delivery while also offering new strategy for developing nutritionally rich gel foods and new resource food matrices.