Newly identified gum improves foaming in food systems, study reveals

A new gum extracted from the roots of an Iranian plant can be used in food systems to improve foaming properties, according to a new study published in the journal Food Hydrocolloids.

The team of scientists, led by Kambiz Jahanbin from Shahrood University of Technology in Iran, isolated gum from the roots of Acanthophyllum bracteatum, also known as chubak, and evaluated its chemical makeup and potential uses for the food industry.

Researchers isolated the crude gum as a water-soluble, light-yellow powder from the defatted roots using warm water and precipitated it with 95% ethanol.

The study revealed that the gum showed low surface and emulsification properties, which may be due to low protein content and the poor quality of the proteins in the gum structure.

The gum, however, had moderate foaming capacity and a good foaming stability, which suggests that it can potentially be used in food systems to improve foaming properties, the researchers noted.