Influence of Soybean Dietary Fiber on the properties of Konjac Glucomannan/κ-Carrageenan Corn Oil Composite Gel

The effects of soybean dietary fiber (SDF) on the gel properties of konjac glucomannan/κ-carrageenan (KGM/κ-CA) were assessed. The addition of SDF significantly changed the color of KGM/κ-CA composite gel, which was mainly expressed as an increment in whiteness. SDF improved the hardness and chewiness of the KGM/κ-CA composite gels. The KGM/κ-CA composite gel with SDF had better water- and oil-holding capacities due to the porous structures produced by SDF in the gels. SDF formed a spatial framework with KGM and κ-CA, it supported the internal structure of the gel, and it disrupted the cohesive structure of the systems, thus leading to an uneven gel structure. The existence of SDF significantly enhanced the melting temperature and thermal stability of the mixed gels. Based on the results of the frequency sweep it can be concluded that SDF increased the storage modulus of the mixed gels and stimulated the formation of more resilient gel structures. The result of steady shear rheology revealed that SDF increased the apparent viscosity of the mixed gel system. In general, the addition of SDF could improve optical, mechanical, and thermodynamic properties when using KGM and κ-CA to simulate solid fat. The results of this study had certain guiding significance and reference value for the development of solid fat products simulated by SDF/KGM/κ-CA composite gel.