Entanglement, rheological, and swallowing properties of konjac glucomannan-hyaluronic acid gum compounding system

  • LU Xiaolin ,
  • YANG Shijuan ,
  • CHEN Wen ,
  • XU Huajian ,
  • LI Bowen ,
  • PI Xiaowen ,
  • ZHANG Binjia
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  • (College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China)

Received date: 2025-05-20

  Revised date: 2025-07-24

  Online published: 2026-03-17

Abstract

With the accelerating aging of the population, the demand for food thickeners among dysphagia patients has become increasingly urgent.This study investigated the konjac glucomannan (KGM) and hyaluronan (HA) composite gel system through rheological tests, gel permeation chromatography, and IDDSI framework assessment to systematically analyze the entanglement characteristics, rheological behavior, and swallowing safety of KGM-HA gels with different ratios.The aim was to provide theoretical support for developing safe and stable food thickeners for dysphagia patients.Results indicated that the ratio of KGM to HA significantly affected the micro-network structure of the sol system.When the KGM∶HA ratio was 8∶2, the sol system exhibited the maximum storage modulus, highest zero-shear viscosity, and demonstrated optimal elastic properties with a more compact network structure.Additionally, the sol displayed stable viscosity under dynamic shear conditions with no thixotropy observed, making it suitable for long-term swallowing care.Through IDDSI framework evaluation tests, all KGM-HA sol formulations met the Level 3 liquid food standard, characterized by moderate fluidity and uniform texture, thereby reducing aspiration risks.This study provides valuable insights for developing specialized food thickeners for patients with dysphagia.

Cite this article

LU Xiaolin , YANG Shijuan , CHEN Wen , XU Huajian , LI Bowen , PI Xiaowen , ZHANG Binjia . Entanglement, rheological, and swallowing properties of konjac glucomannan-hyaluronic acid gum compounding system[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2026 , 52(4) : 134 -142 . DOI: 10.13995/j.cnki.11-1802/ts.043312

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