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P2ARM 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 640 (2021) 052012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/640/5/052012

A study on the synergetic interaction of kappa-carrageenan

with konjac gum

E K Tunieva, K I Spiridonov and V V Nasonova

Department of scientific and applied and technological development, FSBSI V.M.

Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS, 26, Talalikhina str.,
Moscow, 109316, Russia

E-mail: k.spiridonov@fncps.ru

Abstract. The polysaccharide structure-forming agent carrageenan has found wide application
in food production. One of its advantages is an ability to show synergism with different
hydrocolloids - xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum and others. The possibility of the
combined use of carrageenan and konjac gum to produce strong stable gels was studied in this
work. The objects of the research were 1% gels of refined kappa-carrageenan (Е407) and
konjac gum (Е 425 (i)) in different concentrations with the following ratios of carrageenan and
konjac gum: control - 1 : 0; No.1 – 7 : 1; No.2 – 3 : 1; No.3 – 5 : 3; No.4 – 1 : 1; No.5 – 3 : 5;
No.6 – 1 : 3; No.7 – 1 : 7; No.8 – 0 : 1. A quantity of syneretic moisture was determined in the
prepared gels during cold storage for 14 days; gel hardness and springiness were determined
using a universal testing machine Shimadzu AGS-1kN series (Japan). It was found that
introduction of konjac gum in an amount of up to 0.625 % into the composition of the kappa-
carrageenan gel facilitated an increase in gel hardness and elasticity with the exponential
dependency. The following increase in the gum dosage led to a reduction of gel hardness and
springiness. The use of konjac gum did not have a significant effect on carrageenan syneresis.
It was established that the optimal ratio of carrageenan and konjac gum for producing strong
and plastic gels was 1:1.

1. Introduction
The use of structure-forming agents of the polysaccharide nature in the food industry is of interest due
to an improvement in sensory indicators (juiciness, consistency, color, appearance, slicing properties),
a decrease in prime cost of finished products, stabilization of appearance during storage in vacuum
package due to a reduction of syneresis. In addition, they have a positive medico-biological effect
regarding many diseases such as ischemic heart disease, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases and so on [1].
The most commonly used polysaccharide in the food industry is kappa-carrageenan. It dissolves in
water at elevated temperatures (not lower than 60°С) and during cooling forms adhesion zones that are
characteristic for the gel structural network. Carrageenan has a high degree of aggregation of double
helices and its gels are strong. This determined the advantages of using carrageenan in food
production. However, it also has several disadvantages such as thermal reversibility of its gels [2] and
tendency to moisture separation (syneresis).
In the combined use of different structure-forming agents, it is necessary to take into consideration
their effect on each other. The use of combinations of high molecular weight polysaccharides can lead
to an enhancement of their functional properties [3]. For example, tara gum, which is not capable of
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P2ARM 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 640 (2021) 052012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/640/5/052012

gel formation, forms strong gels in combination with carrageenan or xanthan gum as was shown by
Yanbei Wu [4]. It is necessary to account for their characteristics regarding a recipe and production
technology of certain meat product types. Many works were aimed at studying synergism of
carrageenan with xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum and others [5, 6, 7]. For example, Dunstan
described synergetic interaction of kappa-carrageenan and locust bean gum, which resided in an
increase in rupture stress when 30-40% of locust bean gum was added and in a reduction of gel
formation temperature, which enabled an effective decrease in the kappa-carrageenan concentration
[8]. Perez-Мateos studied an effect of kappa-carrageenan with different gums in fish myosystem gels
and found that the strength of gel destruction increased upon addition of locust bean gum and reduced
upon addition of xanthan and guar gums. Moreover, addition of guar gum led to an increase in gel
elasticity [9]. Murayama’s studies demonstrated an increase in the strength and elastic properties of
carrageenan gels when locust bean gum was added. On the contrary, guar gum did not show the
synergistic interaction with carrageenan [10].
However, there are other gums that are interesting as structure-forming agents and potential
synergists of carrageenan. Among them is konjac gum. The raw material for konjac flour or gum is the
root of the plant Amorphophallus konjac. Konjac gum has properties of a thickening and gelling agent.
Konjac gum gels can be both thermo-reversible and thermo-irreversible. Konjac gum imparts a
desirable stable texture to products, which is associated with its stability at high temperatures and in
the acidic environment. At present, konjac gum and its interaction with other polysaccharides have
been actively studied. Di Wu [11] and Yan Hu [12] assessed an effect of the degree of deacetylization
of konjac glucomannan on properties of konjac/ kappa-carrageenan gels and came to a conclusion that
an increase in deacetylization led to production of stronger konjac/ carrageenan gels and to a reduction
of syneresis of these gels.
Taking into account high functional characteristics of konjac gum and its limited use as a mono-
component because of the high cost, the aim of this work was to study synergism of carrageenan and
konjac gum for production of strong stable gels and to assess a possibility of their dose reduction in
food products due to the combined use.

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Materials
The objects of the research were the 1% gels of refined kappa-carrageenan (Е407) and konjac gum (Е
425 (i)) in the following concentrations: control - 1 % of carrageenan, No.1 – 0.875 % of carrageenan
and 0.125 % of konjac gum, No.2 – 0.750 % of carrageenan and 0.250 % of konjac gum, No.3 –
0.625 % of carrageenan and 0.375 % of konjac gum, No.4 – 0.500 % of carrageenan and 0.500 % of
konjac gum, No.5 – 0. 375 % of carrageenan and 0.625 % of konjac gum, No.6 – 0.250 % of
carrageenan and 0.750 % of konjac gum, No.7 – 0.125 % of carrageenan and 0.875 % of konjac gum,
No.8 – 1% of konjac gum.

2.2. Gel preparation

Gels were prepared by homogenization of carrageenan and konjac gum with water using a
homogenizer Рromix 650W, Philips (Netherlands) for 30 sec. After that, the obtained suspension was
transferred to 250-mL beakers, which were placed into a water bath (model 4310, Ekros, Russia)
preliminary heated to 80 °С and held for 40 min. Then, beakers were taken from the water bath; the
suspension was mixed with a glass rod and poured evenly into 50-mL metal weighing cups with a
diameter of 55 mm. After that, weighing cups were cooled to a room temperature, then closed with a
lid and placed into a cold chamber at 4±2 °С for 24 hours.

2.3. Determination of gel hardness

Gel hardness was determined using a universal testing machine Shimadzu AGS-1kN series (Japan). To
this end, a sample of the prepared gel was taken from a weighing cup, placed into the testing area of

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P2ARM 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 640 (2021) 052012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/640/5/052012

the universal testing machine and compressed between the lower stationary plate and the indenter with
a diameter of 93 mm fixed on the upper movable plate. The speed of indenter movement was 20
mm/min. Registration of the force and processing of the obtained data were carried out using the
software Trapezium lite X with the following statistical processing using Microsoft Excel.

2.4. Determination of gel springiness

Gel springiness was determined using a universal testing machine Shimadzu AGS-1kN series (Japan).
To this end, we used the data obtained in determination of gel hardness and equation 1:

А1
A= , (1)
Fn
where:
А – springiness, J /m2;
А1 - compression work, J;
Fn - cross sectional area of indenter, m2;

2.5. Determination of gel syneresis

Syneresis during cold storage was determined in the process of gel storage for 14 days in a cold
chamber at a temperature of 4±2 °С. After gel preparation, the weighing cups with the gels were
weighed on an analytical balance with the precision of up to 0.0001 g. Later on, the weighing cups
with the gels were taken from the cold chamber each day after gel preparation, separated moisture was
removed and the weighing cups were re-weighed. On the 14th day, after the weighing cups were
weighed, syneresis was determined according to equation 2:
Syneresis % = , (2)
where W0 – gel mass before cold storage, g
Wa - gel mass on the14th day of cold storage, g.

3. Results and discussion

3.1. Results of determination of gel hardness and springiness

According to the obtained data, konjac gum showed pronounced synergism regarding carrageenan
(Figure 1).
At the lowest concentration of konjac gum in sample No. 1 (0.125%), gel hardness increased 1.13
times compared to the control (р˃0.05). With an increase in the konjac gum concentration up to 0.5%
(sample No.4), the synergetic effect increased. At this concentration, gel hardness increased 5.15 times
compared to the control (р˃0.05). The following increase in the concentration up to 0.625% led to an
increase in hardness of 6.5 times (р<0.05). According to Figure 1, these concentrations of kappa-
carrageenan and konjac gum were critical: further replacement of carrageenan with gum led to a
significant reduction of strength (р<0.05). The 1% gel of konjac gum did not have sufficiently strong
structure to carry out tests by this method. Despite large viscosity, it spread over a surface, when an
attempt was made to take the gel from a weighing cup.
The obtained results correspond with the data of other studies. For example, He X. [13] and Imeson
[14] reported that gel strength of carrageenan could increase more than four times, when konjac gum
was added. He X. recorded an increase in gel strength of 6.7 and 7.7 times for native and hydrolized
gum, respectively, upon 40% of replacement of carrageenan with konjac gum. Imeson reported that
gel strength of carrageenan increased about four times when konjac gum was added.

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P2ARM 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 640 (2021) 052012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/640/5/052012

300

250
Gel hardness, kPa

200

150

100

50

0
0 0,125 0,250 0,375 0,500 0,625 0,750 0,875
Dosage of konjac gum in the composition of the 1.0% gel

Figure 1. Gel hardness

Determination of gel springiness showed the similar trend (Figure 2). The gels of pure carrageenan
were brittle. Gel springiness increased with an increase in the konjac gum proportion up to 0.5 %
(р<0.05). The further gum addition negatively affected gel springiness.

50
Gel springiness, J/m^2

40

30

20

10

0
0,000 0,125 0,250 0,375 0,500 0,625 0,750 0,875
Dosage of konjac gum in the composition of the 1.0% gel

Figure 2. Gel springiness

3.2. Results of determination of gel syneresis

Syneresis is a widespread problem of several hydrocolloids used in the food industry. Without proper
control or prophylactic measures, syneresis can lead to a significant loss of moisture, taste, color and,
finally, food product quality [15, 16].
According to the obtained data, the carrageenan gel lost ~8% of its mass on the 14th day of cold
storage due to moisture separation, which is quite a high value for food products. It is necessary to
note that the highest dynamics of moisture separation was observed from the 1st to the 8th days: the
gel samples lost ~4.5% of their mass during this period. Later on, a decrease in the rate of moisture
separation was recorded. Such a high moisture loss is partly associated with the fact that we used the

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P2ARM 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 640 (2021) 052012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/640/5/052012

method of “manual” removal of separated moisture from the weighing cups, where the gels were
stored, in the methodology of the investigations. Ako [17] compared two storage methods for kappa-
carrageenan gels - with “manual” removal of separated moisture and without removal of this moisture.
According to the obtained data, when separated moisture was not removed, the
moment of “equilibrium” came on the 4th day, when a quantity of separated moisture became equal to
a quantity of moisture that returned into gels. During the following 16th days, syneresis did not
increase. On the contrary, in case of “manual” removal of moisture, a value of syneresis increased
throughout storage, which is consistent with the results obtained in the present study. Ako also
observed a decrease in dynamics; however, it happened on the 4th day. This fact can be explained by
the difference in the concentration of the structure-forming agent: 0.4% in Ako’s study and 1 % in the
present work. During gel formation, with an increase in the carrageenan concentration, a larger
quantity of the solvent is enclosed in the three-dimensional network, which consists of the molecules
of the dissolved polymer; as a result, a quantity of separated moisture decreases. The obtained data
are also in agreement with Tamova’s work [18]. However, the syneresis value of the 1% kappa-
carrageenan gel obtained by Tamova et al. was a little lower on the 14th day and was equal to 5%; but
it is necessary to note that it can also be a consequence of using different experimental methods.
As syneresis is an undesirable phenomenon, the use of hydrocolloid combinations is aimed at its
reduction. Therefore, an effect of konjac gum on syneresis of carrageenan gels was studied in this
work.
A reduction in syneresis was not achieved with an increase in the degree of carrageenan
replacement with gum (Figure 3). The lowest value of syneresis on the 14th day (6.6%) was achieved
in sample No.1 at the lowest degree of carrageenan replacement. The further increase in the proportion
of konjac gum led to an increase in the proportion of separated moisture up to 9% on the last day of
storage.

10
9
8 Konjac gum
7 0,125%
Syneresis, %

6 Konjac gum
0,250%
5
Konjac gum
4
0,375%
3
Konjac gum
2 0,500%
1 Carrageenan
0 1,000%
1 2 5 8 11 14
Storage, days

Figure 3. Syneresis of the 1% gels of kappa-carrageenan/konjac gum during cold storage

The obtained data are inconsistent with the results of Santoso [19], who obtained a syneresis value
of the gel of semi-refined carrageenan with konjac gum in a ratio of 1:1 equal to 0.7 % after 24 hours.
It can be explained first of all by the fact that in Santoso’s work, the proportion of dry substances in
the gel composition was 7%, and, secondly, by the use of semi-refined carrageenan as the object of the
research. According to Miwa’s studies, syneresis of konjac gum gels is significantly higher compared

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P2ARM 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 640 (2021) 052012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/640/5/052012

to carrageenan gels. For example, an amount of separated moisture of 3.5% of konjac gum and
carrageenan gels after 24-hour storage was 10.3% and 1.4%, respectively [20].
In most works on the study of synergetic interactions of hydrocolloids, the content of the main
component is a constant. In this work, we used a method, in which a constant was the content of all
dry substances. It is connected with the fact that this method makes it possible not to increase an
amount of introduced additives, but, on the contrary, enables reduction of their dosage due to an
enhancement of the properties of each other.

4. Conclusion
The obtained data make a contribution to substantiation of synergetic interaction of kappa-carrageenan
and konjac gum. It was found that partial replacement of carrageenan with konjac gum allowed
obtaining stronger and more plastic gels depending on the polysaccharide ratio. With an increase in the
konjac gum dose up to 0.625 % in the gel composition, gel strength increased in the exponential
dependence. The further increase in the gum facilitated a reduction in the gel strength properties.
The syneresis value of the carrageenan gel was 7.76 % after 14 days of storage. Addition of konjac
gum did not significantly affect a quantity of separated moisture during storage of carrageenan gels.
Taking into account an effect of konjac gum on strength and plasticity of the carrageenan gel, the
optimal ratio of these polysaccharides in a composition equal to 1:1 is recommended.
The future research will be aimed at studying gel properties of carrageenan with konjac gum in the
presence of other recipe components including salt, phosphates, citrates and others.

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IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 640 (2021) 052012 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/640/5/052012

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