Gellan Gum Gels Research Articles

Incorporation of snail meat particles in gellan gum fluid gels: Stability against sedimentation and rheological behavior

Snail meat, despite its nutritional value and popularity in some countries, is still underutilized due to its slimy texture. Snail meat powder could be an alternative way to exploit this source of protein. In the present study, the effect of incorporating snail meat powder without the mucus (SMWM) into the matrix of a fluid gel of gellan gum (GG) was studied in terms of SMWM particles stability against sedimentation and gels rheological features, at pH 4.5 and 7.8. All gels were stable against sedimentation after storage, except those with SMWM at pH 7.8 in the presence of NaCl, attributed to deacetylation of GG during gel formation. Τhe particles were larger at pH 7.8 than those at pH 4.5, whilst the presence of NaCl resulted in smaller particles. The presence of SMWM increased the final viscosity of the GG gel at pH 4.5 upon cooling. The transition temperature at pH 4.5 was higher in that case compared to GG gel. The presence of NaCl had a profound effect on the GG rheological behavior when SMWM particles were present regardless the pH or the concentration. A 3D network was developed according to G′ predominating values over the G″, but the narrow differences indicated its delicate nature. All gels, except that at pH 7.8 with SMWM, demonstrated a typical shear thinning behavior of a non-Newtonian fluid. Overall, the stabilization of SMWM particles in the network of GG fluid gel is promising, especially at pH 4.5 and in the presence of 0.25% NaCl.

A polysaccharide gel made of gellan gum improves oocyte maturation and embryonic development in pigs.

Gellan gum (GG) is a soft, tractable, and natural polysaccharide substrate used for cell incubation. In this study, we examined the effects of GG on porcine oocyte maturation. Cumulus cells and oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from slaughterhouse-derived porcine ovaries and cultured on plastic plates containing 0.05% or 0.1% GG gels. The 0.1% GG gel improved the maturation rate and quality of blastocysts, as determined by the total cell number and the rate of abnormally condensed nuclei. GG gels have antioxidant abilities and oocytes cultured on GG gels (0.05% and 0.1%) have reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) content. Furthermore, GG gels (0.05% and 0.1%) increased F-actin formation, whereas treatment of oocytes with H2O2 reduced F-actin levels. GG gels increased the ATP content in oocytes but did not affect the mitochondrial DNA copy number or mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, the medium cultured on 0.05% GG increased the glucose consumption of COCs. In conclusion, GG gel reduced ROS content, increased energy content, and improved subsequent embryonic development in pigs.

Exploring Potential of Gellan Gum for Enhanced Oil Recovery.

Extensive laboratory and field tests have shown that the gelation response of gellan gum to saline water makes it a promising candidate for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The objective of this mini-review is to evaluate the applicability of gellan gum in EOR and compare its efficiency to other precursors, in particular, hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM). At first, the "sol-gel" phase transitions of gellan gum in aqueous-salt solutions containing mono- and divalent cations are considered. Then the rheological and mechanical properties of gellan in diluted aqueous solutions and gel state are outlined. The main attention is paid to laboratory core flooding and field pilot tests. The plugging behavior of gellan in laboratory conditions due to "sol-gel" phase transition is discussed in the context of conformance control and water shut-off. Due to its higher strength, gellan gum gel provided ~6 times greater resistance to the flow of brine in a 1 mm-width fracture compared to HPAM gel. The field trials carried out in the injection and production wells of the Kumkol oilfield, situated in Kazakhstan, demonstrated that over 6 and 11 months, there was an incremental oil recovery of 3790 and 5890 tons, respectively. To put it into perspective, using 1 kg of dry gellan resulted in the incremental production of 3.52 m3 (or 22 bbls) of oil. The treatment of the production well with 1 wt.% gellan solution resulted in a considerable decrease in the water cut up to 10-20% without affecting the oil flow rate. The advantages and disadvantages of gellan compared to HPAM are analyzed together with the economic feasibility of gellan over HPAM. The potential for establishing gellan production in Kazakhstan is emphasized. It is anticipated that gellan gum, manufactured through fermentation using glucose-fructose syrup from Zharkent and Burunday corn starch plants, could be expanded in the future for applications in both the food industry and oil recovery.

Methacrylated gellan gum hydrogel: a smart tool to face complex problems in the cleaning of paper materials

One of the main challenges in the preservation of paper materials is the development of compatible and eco-friendly cleaning systems suitable for the wet removal of hydrophobic, aged compounds, such as greasy materials or synthetic adhesives, whose presence enhances paper degradation and worsens its optical features. To avoid the use of organic solvents that can be potentially harmful to operators, in this work we propose a new water-based gel obtained by chemical modification of gellan gum gel, a well-known paper cleaning hydrogel. With the aim of obtaining a cleaning system that is able to interact and adsorb not only hydrophilic cellulose degradation byproducts, but also greasy materials and synthetic adhesives, methacrylation has been applied on gellan gum. First, the chemical modification process of gellan gum has been monitored by means of NMR and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Then, the mechanical and physical–chemical properties of the resulting gel have been evaluated by using rheological, AFM, and wettability measurements. Finally, the compatibility and cleaning efficiency of the newly synthetized gel have been tested on paper with different age (from eighteenth and twentieth centuries) and composition by means of a multi-technique framework consisting of spectroscopic, chromatographic, SEM, colorimetric and pH measurements. This work shows a first interesting step towards the development of single component paper cleaning system, easy to use, for the removal of both cellulose hydrophilic degradation products and hydrophobic compounds from different paper typologies.

Impact of dispersion conditions and coacervation on fibril formation in gellan gum-potato protein mixtures

The development of plant-based meat analogs as sustainable alternatives to traditional meat products is a major focus of the modern food industry. Meat-like structures and textures can be fabricated from protein-polysaccharide mixtures using soft matter physics approaches. In this study, we investigated the effects of gellan gum dissolution properties on the fiber formation and textural properties of potato protein-gellan gum composites. We hypothesized that the fibrous structures naturally formed by powdered gellan gum when it is dispersed in water may be useful for creating meat analogs. Zeta-potential measurements showed that cationic potato protein and anionic gellan gum formed electrostatic complexes. In the presence of excess protein, complexation of gellan gum and potato protein resulted in the formation of fibrous structures. Fiber formation and thermal gelation of the protein-polysaccharide composites depended on whether salt (100 mM NaCl) was added, and whether it was added before or after the gellan gum. The shear modulus of heat-set composite gels was higher in the presence of salt than in its absence, which was the opposite to what was observed for pure gellan gum gels. Moreover, adding salt before the gellan gum led to stronger heat set gels than adding it after the gellan gum. These effects were mainly attributed to the ability of the mineral ions to screen the electrostatic interactions between the biopolymer molecules, thereby altering their packing behavior. Our findings suggest that controlling the dispersion and coacervation of gellan gum and potato protein can be used to create fibrous structures, which may facilitate the development of plant-based meat products with improved textural attributes.

Towards a novel strategy for soot removal from water-soluble materials: the synergetic effect of hydrogels and cyclomethicone on gelatine emulsion-based photographs

Gels are a popular cleaning method for paper conservators and a lot of research has been done concerning gel cleaning of paper objects over the last 15 years. Despite the close interconnection between the conservation fields of paper and photographic material, research on using gels for cleaning photographs is very scarce. However, gels can provide an excellent cleaning method for photographic material. Cleaning silver gelatine prints with aqueous solvents is very complex due to the hydrophilic properties and fragility of the gelatine layer which makes mechanical cleaning difficult. The properties of gels ensure better control over the flow and evaporation of the solvent, facilitating the cleaning process. This study is the first insight into the viability of using gellan gum gel and polyvinyl acetate-borax (PVAc-borax) gel to clean contaminants from the surface of silver gelatine photographs. It is based on self-made samples that were artificially aged and contaminated with soot. Water, ethanol (EtOH), and Kodak Photo-flo were studied as solvents to remove the soot from the silver gelatine-based prints. These solvents were loaded into the aforementioned gels and applied to the samples in two different methods. These gel cleaning methods were subsequently compared with traditional cleaning methods. In addition, the usage of cyclomethicone D4 as a protective mask for the gelatine layer was studied. Measuring methods used to evaluate the cleaning were visual comparison, microscopic observation, and densitometry. ATR-FTIR measurements were also conducted to investigate potential side-effects of the cleaning methods on the prints, such as unwanted chemical transformations or the presence of gel residues after the treatments. Most of the gel cleaning methods within this study proved to be inadequate, with the exception of the gellan gum gel loaded with 30% EtOH. It was used as a granulated gel applied mechanically on a print saturated with cyclomethicone (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane D4). Cyclomethicone proved to be a very effective protective barrier for the water-sensitive gelatine layer with minimal reduction in cleaning effectiveness.

Peanut protein-polysaccharide hydrogels based on semi-interpenetrating networks used for 3D/4D printing

The rise of 3D printing technology has made the personalization of food possible. In this study, peanut protein-polysaccharide semi-interpenetrating networks were constructed to improve the gelling and printing properties of composite hydrogels. The rheological and mechanical test results showed that the storage modulus and fracture stress of peanut protein composite hydrogels increased with increasing carrageenan and gellan gum concentrations. The storage modulus (G′) and hardness of the composite hydrogels with 1.5% polysaccharide addition reached above 104 Pa and 700 g, respectively. The thermal reversibility of both carrageenan and gellan gum gels meant that composite hydrogels could be created as recyclable printable edible inks for 3D food printing. In addition, the composite hydrogels were designed to change color in response to alterations in pH, which meant they could be used in 4D food printing applications, i.e., in situations where the ink changes its attributes sometime after printing. The results of this study should facilitate the rational design and fabrication of plant-based edible inks that can be used for the development of personalized foods with unique properties.

Formation and characteristics of curcumin-loaded binary gels formed from large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) roe protein isolate and gellan gum

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gellan gum (GG) on the cold gelation of large yellow croaker roe protein isolate (pcRPI). The water-holding ability and storage modulus of the pcRPI-GG binary gels increased with the GG concentration, where the storage modulus of the pcRPI-0.2% GG gel was approximately 30.7 times that of the pure pcRPI gel. Compare to the other binary gels, pcRPI-0.2% GG gels exhibited a lower lacunarity and higher junction density, with a denser, more aggregated microstructure. Consequently, curcumin was embedded in pcRPI-0.2% GG gels, and simulated gastrointestinal digestion test results showed that GG addition effectively protected and slowed curcumin release in the gastrointestinal environment. These findings may contribute to elucidating the interaction of pcRPI with GG and demonstrate the potential of binary gels for the embedding and delivery of active substances.

Study of polysaccharide gels at Prof. Nishinari's laboratory

Studies performed at Prof. Katsuyoshi Nishinari's laboratory are overviewed. The gelation and gel properties of gellan gum were investigated by rheological and thermal analyses. The change in the elastic modulus of gellan gum gels due to the temperature or immersion in salt solutions was interpreted from the model that Prof. Nishinari proposed. The fracture behavior of the large deformation of gellan gum gels was also explained by this model. The gel of xyloglucan from tamarind seed, in particular, a thermoreversible cold-setting gel that formed in the presence of epigallocatechin gallate or Na-type gellan, was studied. As examples of recent collaborative works with Prof. Nishinari, the gelation of β-glucan extracted from Sparassis crispa, an edible mushroom, and the application of sodium alginate and low methoxy pectin to rice noodles are also described.

Fabrication of WPI-EGCG covalent conjugates/gellan gum double network emulsion gels by duo-induction of GDL and CaCl2 for colon-controlled Lactobacillus Plantarum delivery

In this study, we demonstrated the role of whey protein isolate (WPI)/(−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) covalent conjugates/gellangum double network emulsion gels by duo-induction of glucono-δ-lactone (GDL) and CaCl2 on the digestion viability of Lactobacillus Plantarum powders. We employed a novel one-step continuous cold gelation strategy to product double network emulsion gels. The gellan gum in continuous phase was first induced by CaCl2 to form a gel in a short time. Besides, the GDL was improved covalent cross-linking between WPI-EGCG covalent conjugate Pickering particles or particle-coated oil droplets because of the slowly pH reduction. The first cross-linked gellan gum gels could be more closely integrated into the GDL-induced second gel networks with synergistic role, which promoted the formation of compact and homogeneous networks through hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds. Thus, the results provide a promising strategy for probiotic powders encapsulation of double network emulsion gels in oral applications of gel type foods.

Chickpea flour and soy protein isolate interacted with κ-carrageenan via electrostatic interactions to form egg omelets analogue

In recent years, demand for the plant-based egg substitutes has increased significantly, especially in Singapore, a country seeking for innovative food sources imminently. In the current study, chickpea flour, soy protein isolate, shortening, baking powder, mono, diglyceride, transglutaminase, potassium chloride, flour, and hydrocolloids (κ-carrageenan (κ-C) or gellan gum (GG)) were used to develop the eggless omelets. A formulation comprising 0.3% κ-C (0.3κ-C) best matched the physiochemical properties of egg, in terms of hardness (4437 vs. 4614 g), specific volume (1.24 vs. 1.19 cm 3 /g), and gel strength (19.3 vs. 17.5 kPa). This could be attributed to the highest synergistic κ-C-protein interactions in 0.3κ-C, along with the most homogeneous gel structure observed under confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The addition of 0.1% κ-C induced more κ-C-protein interactions than the one without hydrocolloids, but such increase was not as dominant as 0.3κ-C. When the κ-C concentration reached 0.5%, however, the rheological synergism decreased while the electrostatic interactions increased; that signifies the increased κ-C-κ-C interactions. Contrastingly, a segregated GG-protein interaction occurred in all GG systems, as indicated from synergism and CLSM images. These differences in interactions and structures affected the macroscale properties of our plant-based egg products, explaining the different physiochemical properties among them. A schematic diagram was therefore proposed to build connections between physiochemical properties, interactions, and structure. • Plant-based egg with 0.3% κ-carrageenan (κ-C) matched the liquid egg best. • Synergy between 0.3% κ-C & proteins and the uniform gel structure caused the match. • Addition of 0.1% or 0.3% κ-C formed a 3D network with proteins filled by starch. • Adding 0.5% κ-C replaced part of κ-C-protein interactions by κ-C-κ-C. • Bi-continuous gel structure was observed in gellan gum gels.

Floating sphere assay: A rapid qualitative method for microvolume analysis of gelation.

A huge, unprecedented demand for gelatin coupled with its implications on global sustainability has resulted in the need to discover novel proteins with gelling attributes for applications in the food industry. Currently used gelation assays require large sample volumes and thus the screening for novel gelling proteins is a formidable technical challenge. In this paper, we report the ‘Floating Sphere Assay’ which is a simple, economical, and miniaturized assay to detect minimum gelling concentration with volumes as low as 50 μl. Results from the Floating Sphere Assay are consistent with currently used methods for gelation tests and accurately estimate the Minimum Gelling Concentrations (MGCs) of gelatin, κ-carrageenan and gellan gum. The assay was also able to differentiate the strengths of strong and weak gellan gum gels prepared at pH 3.5 and pH 7.0 respectively. The Floating Sphere Assay can be utilized in high-throughput screens for gelling proteins and can accelerate the discovery of gelatin substitutes.

Application of a balloon-type pressure sensor in texture evaluation of tongue-crushable foods.

A relationship has recently been suggested to exist between tongue pressure measured using balloon-type sensors and the tongue-crushable food range of individuals. This study was conducted to investigate the applicability of a balloon-type pressure sensor for texture evaluation of tongue-crushable soft foods. Six gellan gum gels were used as a soft food model. The fracture force and strain of gels were controlled at two and three levels by changing the gum concentration and acyl-group content, respectively. The pressure sensor was inserted between a food sample and texture analyzer probe, and pressure values during compression of gels were measured. During the compression test, both the food and tongue-pressure sensor were deformed, eventually leading to fracture of food gels. Using the tongue-pressure sensor, the food gels fractured at lower force because of the shape of the sensor but showed longer displacement as the sensor deformed compared to without the sensor. Gels with low-fracture force in the conventional test without the sensor exhibited lower fracture force, work, gradient, and true stress than those with high-fracture force in the sensor test. Displacement, clearance, or distance from the bottom plate, and true stress at fracture were appropriate parameters for expressing the fracture characteristics. Both the true fracture stress and fracture pressure in the sensor test decreased with the fracture strain of gels in a conventional test. These results suggest that by using a larger balloon and faster sampling, the sensor can be used to determine the fracture behavior of tongue-crushable foods.

Permeability reduction by gellan gum solutions

This paper summarizes the results of laboratory experiments with gellan gum. Gellan gum solutions demonstrated plugging in distilled water and brine saturated sand packs. Progressive plugging in distilled water saturated sand packs is explained by the presence of gel particles in the gellan gum solutions, whereas plugging in brine saturated sand packs is explained by the instantaneous gelation of gellan gum upon contact with brine. Gellan gum gel strength and its injectivity depend on brine salinity in the rage of 0–60 g⋅L−1. Gellan gum plugging behavior in porous media depends on polymer concentration, permeability, and temperature. However, in these tests internal pressure taps were not used, making conclusions impossible as to whether gellan gum solutions provide in-depth plugging in matrix rocks. Fracture models with an impermeable matrix and fractured sandstone cores were used in this study to compare gellan gum and hydrolyzed polyacrylamide gels. Alternating injection of gellan gum and brine demonstrated an effective way to plug 1-mm-height fractures. The plugging efficiency of polyacrylamide gel depends on the initial viscosity of the solution, if it is injected prior to gelation, and post flush salinity. Whereas in the case of gellan gum, these factors are not critical because the solution gels instantaneously upon contact with brine, with higher brine salinity improving gel strength. Although, maximal gel and post flush injection pressures were several times higher in the case of gellan gum, stabilized post flush injection pressure was higher in the case of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide gel placed as a mature gel in a sandstone fractured core.

Release of glucose and maltodextrin DE 2 from gellan gum gels and the impacts of gel structure

Structural influences of hydrocolloids gels on the release of carbohydrates was examined with a focus on structure-function relationships. This understanding will guide formulation of food gels for targeted sugar release in populations such as diabetics and athletes. Hydrocolloid gels with well characterised structures, with a focus on high acyl (HA) and low acyl (LA) gellan gum, were formulated with glucose, maltose, DE 10 maltodextrin (MD) and DE 2 MD. Gel structure did not significantly affect glucose release, but mixed gel type had a significant effect on MD availability. A DE 2 MD required amylase to release more than 10% of the carbohydrates but still had 38% retained in a gel formulated with 30% MD. Formulation with any non-melting gelling hydrocolloid decreased the amount of released MD and phase separated networks released more than interpenetrating networks. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to compare helix formation of MD gels and the number of helices was inversely correlated with carbohydrate release. These results demonstrated a range of sugar release profiles achievable from formulation from specific gelling agent structures and carbohydrates.

Gellan gum gel tissue phantoms and gel dosimeters with tunable electrical, mechanical and dosimetric properties

Gellan gum gels have been proposed as tissue- and water-mimicking materials (phantoms) applied in medical imaging and radiotherapy dosimetry. Phantoms often require ionic additives to induce desirable electrical conductivity, resistance to biological spoilage, and radical scavenging properties. However, gellan gum is strongly crosslinked by the typically used sodium salts, forming difficult-to-work with gels with reduced optical clarity. Herein we investigated lithium and tetramethylammonium chloride to induce the required electrical conductivity while maintaining optical clarity; lithium formate and methylparaben were used as a radical scavenger and antimicrobial additive, respectively. Using a multifactorial design of experiments, we studied and modeled the electrical and mechanical properties and liquid expulsion (syneresis) properties of the gels. Finally, by the addition of a radiation-sensitive tetrazolium salt, dosimeters with favorable properties were produced. The results described herein may be used to prepare tissue phantoms and dosimeters with tuned electrical, mechanical, and dosimetric properties.

Cloning and expression of gellan gum biosynthetic genes gelQ, gelB, gelL and gel K of Sphingomonas paucimobilis, production and characterization of the recombinant gellan gum

Abstract Gellan gum, a linear exopolysaccharide produced by Sphingomonas paucimobilis, is one of the most multifunctional polymers used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. In the present study, for the first time, the gellan gum biosynthetic genes gel Q, gel B, gel L and gel K of Sphingomonas paucimobilis were cloned and successfully expressed in the same bacterium using the vector, pBBR122. The recombinant proteins were purified using Ni-NTA column chromatography and the molecular weight was predicted using SDS-PAGE. The biomass and gellan gum production of the strains harboring the expressed genes were analyzed in a laboratory fermentor and the production was higher with recombinant gel Q gene (Biomass: 7.03 ± 0.1 g/l; Gellan gum: 11.71 ± 0.2 g/l) compared to recombinant strains expressed with gel B, gel K and gel L genes. The optimum gellan gum production was obtained at 30 °C, pH 6.5, 400 rpm agitation speed, 90% Dissolved oxygen level and carbon-nitrogen ratio 3. The viscosity of polymer decreased with an increased shear rate which substantiates the use of this exopolysaccharide as a better gelling and thickening agent. The glucose: glucuronic acid: rhamnose ratio of the recombinant polymer was around 2:1:1 which is similar to the structural property of its native gellan. Different shapes like disc, membrane, fibres, particles and beads of gellan were made which may have wide applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. The water holding capacity of the gellan gum gel was maximum in 100 mM calcium and minimum in gel with 5 mM Ca2+at 60 min. Compression test results illustrated that there was no significant change in the textural property of the recombinant gellan for different storage intervals compared to native gellan.

Fracture phenomena of soft gellan gum gels during compression with artificial tongues

The objective of this study was to clarify the effects of mechanical properties of soft food gels on breakability with the human tongue. Models of nursing care foods were prepared using mixtures of high- and low-acylated-gellan gums to achieve high or low fracture deformation. Mixtures with different concentrations were set to prepare gels with high or low fracture force. Several model tongues with moduli and relative sizes-to-food similar to those of the human tongue were also prepared using transparent urethane gels. A compression test was conducted using a soft machine equipped with an artificial tongue coupled to a conventional texture analyzer to simulate fracture phenomena of soft food gels between the tongue and hard palate. The food gel and artificial tongue were both deformed, with the former being pushed into the latter. Gellan gels with higher fracture force exhibited greater force and work until the fracture observed was similar to that in a conventional test. Highly deformable gels were resistant to fracture with the softer artificial tongue as greater displacement in the combination of gel and artificial tongue was observed prior to being fractured during compression. The gels were encumbered by the surrounding soft artificial tongue. The food gels having high deformation ratio at fracture in the conventional test were difficult to fracture with the soft machine. The results suggest that fracture deformation of food gels alone is a more important factor for gel fracture during compression between the tongue and hard palate.

In situ supersaturable polyhydrogels: A feasible modification of the conventional hydrogels for the enhanced delivery of stomach specific hydrophobic drugs

In situ supersaturable polyhydrogels are a promising modification of traditional in situ gels to incorporate hydrophobic drugs and specifically deliver them to the stomach for management of gastric cancers and ulcers. This work emphases on understanding the influence of polyhydric solvents on gellan gum gels. Formulations containing various concentrations of glycerol, propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol 400 were prepared. Interaction between solvents and gellan gum was evaluated using FTIR. Rheological properties of the formulations, In vitro floating behavior and gel strength were investigated. In situ polyhydrogels were loaded with Curcumin, as a model hydrophobic anticancer, utilizing polyethylene glycol 400 for evaluation of in vitro drug release. The investigated solvents interacted with the polymer through hydrogen-bond formation. The solvents intensified the gelation ability of the polymer, gel strength and the viscosity than solvent-free formulation. polyhydrogels allowed incorporation of hydrophobic drug with enhanced release profile that doesn't follow “spring and parachute” pattern in non-sink conditions signifying the ability of polyhydrogels to maintain supersaturated solutions for long period. Polyhydrogels could widen the application of in situ gels to include hydrophobic drugs with possible extension of the study to include other polymers with similar gelation properties.

Freeze-Dried Gellan Gum Gels as Vitamin Delivery Systems: Modelling the Effect of pH on Drying Kinetics and Vitamin Release Mechanisms.

Freeze-dried gellan gum gels present great potential as delivery systems for biocompounds, such as vitamins, in food products. Here, we investigate the effect of modifying the gel pH—prior to the encapsulation process—on drying and release kinetics, and on delivery mechanisms from the substrate. Gellan gum gels were prepared at pH 5.2, 4 and 2.5 and loaded with riboflavin before being freeze-dried. Release tests were then carried out at ambient temperature in water. Five drying kinetics models were fitted to freeze-drying experimental curves using regression analysis. The goodness-of-fit was evaluated according to (i) the root mean squared error (ii), adjusted R-square (iii), Akaike information criterion (iv) and Bayesian information criterion. The Wang and Singh model provided the most accurate descriptions for drying at acidified pH (i.e., pH 4 and pH 2.5), while the Page model described better freeze-drying at pH 5.2 (gellan gum’s natural pH). The effect of pH on the vitamin release mechanism was also determined using the Korsmeyer–Peppas model, with samples at pH 5.2 showing a typical Fickian behaviour, while acidified samples at pH 4 combined both Fickian and relaxation mechanisms. Overall, these results establish the basis for identifying the optimal conditions for biocompound delivery using freeze-dried gellan gels.