Evaluation of temperature and concentration on the development of rice hydrogel and 2D xerogel

Abstract

The gelification behavior of starch in rice flour was investigated for its application on food structuring to produce rice xerogel. The effect of hydrogel nature in drying was studied for the xerogel surface design. The impact of changes in rice flour was found by the least gelation concentration and pasting properties. It exhibited 4% (w/v) gelatinized rice flour dispersion and can form a 3D polymer network during cooling. Assessment of hydrogel preparation temperature was examined by swelling power, solubility, surface tension, contact angle, and transmittance. An increase in swelling power, solubility, and density is due to the effective binding of starch with water molecules. The decline in absorbance specifies loss of crystallinity and birefringence because of starch granules disruption. Surface tension increased, and contact angle decreased at a higher temperature because of gelling nature. Various concentrations (2%, 4%, and 6%) of rice flour dispersion were exposed to heat at temperatures (60, 70, 80, 90, and 100°C) for developing rice xerogel. It was observed that 4% (w/v) of rice flour suspension gellified at 90°C possesses better structural integrity without deformation and cracks. Novelty Impact Statement The obtained 2D rice xerogel with the addition of flavor could be utilized in complex-shaped foods like chips, pasta, and noodles. As 2D flour-based materials are capable of undergoing shape change into a 3D form during frying/cooking, this is an arising innovation that could encourage diminishing packaging and shipping costs as well as to design user-customized attractive materials.