Abstract
Soluble fiber β-glucan is one of the key dietary materials in healthy food products known for reducing serum cholesterol levels. The micro-structural heterogeneity and micro-rheology of high-viscosity barley β-glucan solutions were investigated by the diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) technology. By comparing the mean-square displacement (MSD) of the microspheres imbedded in eight concentrations of β-glucan solutions, we found that the solutions exhibited nearly homogeneous behavior at ≤0.1 %, but the material showed a clear degree of heterogeneity at ≥0.25 %. Micro-rheology investigation revealed that β-glucan solutions displayed nearly perfect viscous behavior at ≤0.1 %, but the property changed into viscoelastic one at ≥0.25 %. The magnitude of high-frequency viscoelastic moduli for the 0.25 % - 0.75 % β-glucan solutions can be characterized by ׀G*׀ ∝ ω3/4, which is the semi-flexible polymer behavior. However, the magnitude of high-frequency viscoelastic moduli (׀G*׀) for the 1.0 % - 1.25 % β-glucan solutions is proportional to ω1/2, which is the flexible polymer behavior. All micro-structural heterogeneity and micro-rheological property shifts occurred in relatively small concentration ranges.
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